


Our way

by GermsBurn



Series: We Must Bleed [2]
Category: The Lost Boys (Movies)
Genre: Blood Drinking, Bloodlust, Brujeria, Canon-Typical Violence, Coming Out, Dom/sub Undertones, Exhibitionism, Gratuitous Smut, HIV/AIDS Crisis, Homophobic Language, Internalized Homophobia, LGBTQ Character of Color, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Queer Character, Queer Themes, Recreational Drug Use, Sacrilege, The Satanic Panic, Vampires, Witchcraft (of the non-fantasy variety)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:28:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27547606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GermsBurn/pseuds/GermsBurn
Summary: Five years later, Michael is still adjusting to his life with the boys and Sam has some problems of his own. Meanwhile, the "satanic panic" sweeping the country threatens the normal order of things in Santa Carla, dredging up the boys' own histories.In other words: "The past is never dead. It's not even past." Also, alternately: "History is what hurts."
Relationships: David/Dwayne/Michael Emerson/Marko/Paul, David/Michael Emerson (Lost Boys)
Series: We Must Bleed [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2013589
Comments: 18
Kudos: 75





	1. Heavy metal

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel of sorts to my first Lost Boys fic, which was very much conceived as a self-contained story from beginning to end. I would definitely recommend reading "What we do is secret" first. I do pick up a lot of threads and loose ends from that story here and certain things probably don't make sense without that set up.

Keeping himself hidden, Michael watched silently as Sam and Lucy walked away into the night. It was rare to catch a glimpse of them at all; ever since he had disappeared five years ago, his former family had intuitively avoided the boardwalk after dark. But every so often they didn’t quite make it home in time, lingered after the sun set for one reason or another. He lit a cigarette. The embers glittered in the shadows that enveloped him as he stared at the two retreating figures. Lucy had looked about the same as ever, although the way that she held herself was different now. He didn’t have the ability to read her body language anymore, not really, but intellectually he knew what it meant: she was tired, weighed down by a sense of grief. Sam, on the other hand, had changed a lot. He was just about the age now that Michael had been when he was turned, the age that his body would stay forever. Sam seemed sad too, maybe.

“See something you like?” Michael could sense David’s wariness as the other vampire sidled up to him.

Michael sighed, shifting to rest subtly against him. “You know what I was doing, David.” There weren’t any secrets between them, not anymore.

“Yes, but I don’t know why you're torturing yourself.” David removed his gloves and then pressed an unlit cigarette to Michael’s with a proprietary gesture, took a drag. “Better to just eat them and put an end to it. Told you that on day one.”

Michael hummed distantly, this was a conversation they had rehearsed often, a familiar tune. He hadn’t thought much about his former family at first, had been too caught up in his new life with the boys, distracted by the hunger that had consumed him during those early years. The blood they shared had a way of filling the mind up until there wasn’t much room for anything else. At most, their presence had registered like a passing déjà vu, barely noticeable and easily forgotten. But as time went on, the distance, the indifference that he felt had become almost palpable. It was no longer the absence of feeling, but a new kind of presence that pressed uncomfortably at his mind.

“It isn’t that I miss them” he gazed thoughtfully into the night, “not really.” The concept of missing his human family seemed so abstract, almost incomprehensible. By contrast, he could intimately sense Dwayne, Marko, and Paul nearby, could almost taste the alternating waves of excitement and boredom that rolled off of them as they prowled the boardwalk, looking for dinner. “It’s more like they remind me of what I’m not,” he looked at his pale hands, thought about how cold they would feel to anyone but his brothers, “and what I am.” He absentmindedly traced the line of his own jaw, “Always the same.”

“Always perfect,” David looked at him intensely and then smirked, letting a hand wander down to squeeze his ass with an air of entitlement. Michael glared at him for a second before letting a half-smile spread across his face. Satisfied, David moved his arm up around the other boy’s shoulder and led him down a nearby alley. They were hidden in the shadows: David leaning against the brick wall, Michael leaning against him. “ _Now stop thinking so much and hold perfectly still_.”

__

David could feel Michael shudder at his silent command. He smiled as Michael settled against him, almost automatically. He wound his arms around the boy, relishing in the feel of his hard muscles, in the earthy scent that clung to him. He was going to remind Michael how good it was to be one of them, to be his.

He pressed his lips to Michael’s ear, not bothering to speak aloud, “ _I want you to keep your eyes open, watch the people passing by_.” He tightened his grip and began to lick at Michael’s neck, lightly at first, barely ghosting over the arc of his exposed throat. A family walked past the alley, a young couple with a stroller, followed by a gaggle of teenage girls that ran past, laughing. “ _Look at them, Michael._ ” David moved his hand lower, dipped his fingers below the edge of the other boy’s pants, forcing the fly open and tracing the line of Michael’s hips. He rubbed up and down, following the contours of the bone. He could feel the boy’s blood beginning to stir as he became aroused. If Michael had a working heart, it would be racing. David took the younger vampire's earlobe into his mouth and began to suck, pulling at the metal charm that hung from it. Michael moaned, that ear was practically an erogenous zone at this point. A man walking by paused, glancing a few times at the alley before giving up on identifying the noise and continuing on his way. “ _None of that_ ,” David stopped suddenly, an edge to his voice, “ _keep quiet now._ ” Once he was satisfied that Michael would remain silent, he resumed, tugging more sharply at the earring. He smiled darkly as Michael finally started to really let go, feeling the boy become lax, pliant in his embrace. Michael's eyes were glassy as he relinquished control, putting his mind as much as his body in his master's hands.

“ _Pay attention, Michael.”_ David took his jaw roughly in his other hand, holding his head in place as he began to rub more firmly at his hips, ignoring the growing erection just a few inches away. Grinned as Michael forced himself to keep looking at the parade of humanity that scrolled past them: another family, this one with two screaming toddlers covered in the remnants of ice cream; a pair of surfers, skin tan and hair sun bleached; a petite old woman, moving with the practiced cadence of a power walker on her usual route. David’s mouth was at his ear again. “ _Look at her, Michael._ ” A young woman was walking by, dressed in the uniform of the local burger joint. “ _How long do you think you’d last? If you got her alone, got her blood pumping?”_ Michael struggled to keep still. “ _Not too long at all I think,_ ” David chuckled softly, _“but she’d taste good, wouldn’t she?_ ” He pulled Michael’s hips closer against his own, lining up their bodies. He trailed his other hand up from Michael’s pants, snaking it under his shirt. “ _What about him?”_ He pointed Michael’s face in the direction of a surfer, blonde and ripped, “ _looks like just your type. Bet you could have some fun with him first._ ” He twisted one of Michael’s nipples, hard. “ _Bet he’d get down on his knees, make an exception for you._ ” David gave the nipple another pinch, causing Michael to shudder with pleasure. He was putty in David’s hands, his body lit up with his suggestions. Michael could practically taste the surfer’s sweat, the bitterness of the girl’s cloying perfume as it mixed with the layer of grease that clung to her hair. David skimmed his extended fangs against the delicate stretch of skin between his ear and collarbone. Michael was beyond hard, David could tell that the boy was barely restraining himself from begging to be touched, to be allowed to release. Sensing his growing desperation, David let go of his jaw and moved a finger into his mouth; Michael sucked at it shamelessly, never tearing his eyes away from the people passing by, just a few feet away.

“ _Look at you, Michael_ ,” David enthused, removing his finger and leaving Michael’s mouth empty, searching. He felt a thrill run through him as he sensed the bloodlust that had emptied the younger vampire’s mind, gloried in the barely restrained violence that ran like a current under cold, hard muscle. Michael was caught, sunk into a now-familiar space suspended between the magnetic pull of his hunger and the powerful ties binding him to David. “ _Imagine if these people could see you, see how desperate you are, how completely mine._ ” Michael shivered, struggling not to close his eyes as David’s hands drifted back down towards his inner thighs, teasing him. This little game was always so much more intense when Michael had spent a little too much time around humanity, when he temporarily forgot how little stock he actually put in their perceptions of anything.

Claws traced a thin set of lines up the skin of his thighs, never touching his erection, and a pair of fangs sunk gently into Michael’s neck. David’s restraint was exquisite, he drank slowly, drawing it out until Michael couldn’t take it anymore. He started to come, releasing messily into the leather of his pants. “ _Michael,_ ” David was firm, “ _I didn't say you could come yet._ ” He moved his hands lower, scooping up the come and bringing it to Michael’s lips. “ _Now clean it off._ ” Michael didn’t hesitate, licking eagerly into David’s palm, tonguing his fingers with fastidious attention. Once his hands were clean, David turned them around, pressing Michael into the wall to face him. David sized up the other vampire up with amused satisfaction. Michael had kept up his human guise, barely, but his eyes were wild, golden. He traced the same line of Michael’s jaw that the boy had worried at earlier. David’s eyes glittered as he gave Michael a smug look and calmly stretched his gloves back over his now-human hands.

All of a sudden, both vampires turned their heads in unison. The effect was uncanny. Michael met the smile that instantly formed on David’s face with his own toothy grin: dinner was ready. David threw his arm around Michael’s shoulder, leading him out of the alley and back into the artificial illumination that lit up the boardwalk at night, back into the flow of humanity where they would pass, undetected. More or less. Michael was lucky that he was incapable of blushing, that his body wouldn’t, couldn’t betray him. But David could read the hungry look on the boy’s face as they strode past the people milling about the boardwalk, headed towards where the others were waiting. Michael licked his lips and his eyes fluttered closed for a second, his little existential crisis forgotten.

__

“Tsk, tsk,” David shook his head in mock disappointment, “Looks like you got the party started without us.” He stretched out a hand, anticipating the beer that Marko pressed into it, unprompted.

Michael smirked as he took in the group of unwitting college kids that were assembled around the bonfire. Thrill seekers in Santa Carla for spring break. “Well, aren’t you going to introduce us?” He gave Marko a friendly squeeze and ruffled Paul's hair. Shared another toothy grin with Dwayne, who was off to the side, as usual.

“Don’t really see the point,” Paul drawled, too high to maintain the pretense necessary for this sort of thing any longer. “Michael, dinner,” he giggled darkly, looking back and forth between his brother and the confused teens, “dinner, Michael.”

With that, the five vampires lost it, laughing hysterically as they let themselves transform. Their monstrous features made even more horrible by the flickering light of the bonfire. Even Dwayne got in the spirit: the little party had already dragged on far too long and he was happy to put a bloody end to it already. Michael felt himself get swept up into the familiar buzz that ran back and forth between the boys whenever they hunted or fed together, reveled in the excitement that they shared as he tore into the throat of his first victim. The blood tasted richer, sweeter, somehow, after David’s little scene at the boardwalk. He pressed his face into the boy’s neck, luxuriating in the warmth of the blood, smearing it over his face, before he dug back in. The meal didn’t last very long, all things considered.

“Michael, Marko,” David grinned lazily from where he had sprawled out, “you boys are on clean-up duty tonight.” He snickered, clapping his hands together, “chop, chop!”

“You got it, boss!” Marko rolled his eyes and helped pull Michael up, smiling approvingly at his bloodied face. Marko was, as usual, covered in blood and gore. Some vampires got neater, more restrained as time went on; Marko was pretty constant. He gave Michael a crooked smile and surveyed the night’s damage. “Whaddya think, Mikey? Dump or burn?”

Michael swiped a clawed finger through the blood that painted his face, licking it off thoughtfully. After a moment, he nodded towards the dying bonfire, “Let’s toss ‘em on!”

__

Michael awakened early the next night, opening his eyes before the last rays of the suns sunk behind the horizon. He had fed well, slept even better, but he still felt vaguely uneasy. He pressed into the hardness of David’s body, curled around him for another moment, feeling the other boy’s stubble scratch against his own. With something resembling a sigh, he unclasped his talons from the perch and floated down, grabbing his boots and walking quietly towards the lobby. When Dwayne found him a little while later, Michael was stretched out on the fountain, his head tilted back just over the edge, working through his second cigarette of the night.

“ _What’s on your mind, brother?_ ” Dwayne sat down next to him, lifting Michael’s legs up to rest on his lap.

“ _Dunno,_ ” Michael closed his eyes, squeezing them shut with frustration, “ _still thinking about them, I guess._ ”

“ _I thought David took care of that?_ ” He frowned, peering down at Michael through golden eyes. “ _It seemed like you were feeling more like yourself by the time you joined us at the bonfire, anyway._ ”

Michael laughed bitterly and then took a long, slow drag on the cigarette. Still silent, he stubbed it out and then lit another one. He stared at the match, letting it burn down, almost to his fingers. 

Dwayne’s frown deepened. “ _Brother, we all gave something up, lost something,_ ” his gaze became, somehow, even more intense, “ _even David._ ” He was quiet for a long time as he weighed his words. They all had noticed Michael’s morbid preoccupation with his former family lately, but it wasn’t something that any of them other than David brought up with the vampire. Not directly, anyway. “ _It isn’t a good idea to dwell on the past. It takes you away from us, divides your loyalty._ ”

Michael’s eyes widened a bit at that, “ _I would never betray you.”_ A sense of anxiety cut him to the quick at the very suggestion.

Dwane started massaging Michael’s legs, clawed fingers almost bringing blood to the surface. “ _I know,_ ” he said softly, comforting the other boy. “ _But think about how it makes us feel, when you deny what you are, what we are to you,_ ” his eyes flashed, _“to each other._ ” His voice took on a dangerous edge, “ _We have given you everything, would give up anything for you. Don’t forget that.”_ He looked into the distance, “ _It is no small thing._ ”

“ _I understand, brother,”_ Michael swallowed thickly, overcome with a peculiar, nameless emotion. Dwayne was, for the most part, a man of few words and could hardly be described as sentimental. It was rare for him to intervene like this, and Michael couldn't help but take what he said to heart. He was relieved when the frown left Dwayne's face, replaced by a peaceful expression. Dwayne leaned over him, began to trace the contours of his face consolingly. Michael let himself be touched, felt himself shift under the other vampire’s fingertips as Dwayne slowly summoned his true form, brought it to the surface, dissolving the thin pretense of his humanity. 

By the time Marko, Paul, and David wandered out of the roost, Michael’s mind was at ease and he greeted his brothers with a happy, fanged smile.

__

The boys traipsed in to the record store a few streets down from the boardwalk. The sun hadn’t set too long ago and the night was still young. Paul had finally gotten his hands on a boom box with a CD player, and he wanted to update his collection. The metalhead manning the counter nodded at the boys, barely looking up. The guy was a bit of a burnout, but he had worked there for a long time now and they had reached an accord. He didn’t hassle them or bat an eye when merchandise disappeared under his watch, and they didn’t eat him. It worked out pretty well for everyone involved.

“Dude!” Paul leaned against the counter, initiating the conversation with a smile that managed to be both friendly and menacing at once. “Anything good come in this month?” Oddly enough, Paul had struck up something almost resembling a friendship with the guy lately. He had started putting the good stuff aside for Paul, and Paul had taken to rewarding him with crumpled bills, stolen jewelry, and even the occasional spare joint. It wasn’t so much that the boys didn’t have the money to pay for things; the spoils of their hunts were actually pretty lucrative most of the time. It was the principle of the thing. It was a point of honor for Paul that the treasure rendered in these little exchanges never matched up to the price of the goods. But usually it far exceeded their worth, so the metalhead hardly minded. Better to keep the boys happy and not rock the boat, in any case.

A smile slowly spread across the guy’s face, “Yeah, man, got a whole stack for you.” His eyes were pretty bleary, rimmed with red. He reached under the counter, bringing up a pile of jewel cases. “The new Ministry is finally in,” he began, and soon the two were deep in a conversation that was borderline incomprehensible to the rest of the boys.

Michael tapped his fingers impatiently against a display, letting his claws extend just a bit for effect. “ _Bored._ ”

“ _Gotta let Paul have his fun once in a while._ ” David had stationed himself by the front of the store to keep an eye on what was going on outside. “ _It’s amazing, really,”_ he chuckled ironically, _“do you have any idea what kind of music was hot back when he was alive?_ ”

Marko had found the budget vinyl bin and was throwing records through the air like frisbees. It seemed like he was trying to draw out Dwayne, but the older vampire just stepped out of reach each time a disc came flying towards him, raising his eyebrows and biting back a smile. “Dwayney, it’s only fun if you try to catch them,” Marko whined, sending another album hurtling through the air. The metalhead roused himself from the conversation with Paul for a second when he heard the first record shatter, but wisely decided to ignore it.

“Hang on.” Dwayne was looking at the television tucked into the corner of the store, which was blaring away with some local news channel. “You guys see this?”

Michael looked up, surprised that Dwayne would deign to speak aloud. “See what?”

Dwayne nodded at the set. Apparently there was an open investigation of a rec center a few towns over and suspects had been apprehended for what the newscaster was describing as a series of murders linked to satanic rituals.

Marko snickered as he walked over to the set, taking care to step on the broken records that littered the ground. They made such a satisfying crunch underfoot. “ _Was that us?_ ”

David shook his head, “ _Nope, not us._ ” He exchanged a look with Dwayne; the pair seemed oddly concerned.

“Pretty gnarly,” the metalhead spoke up. “Dunno what all that’s about, but I hear a bunch of religious groups been protesting record stores lately, accusing them of selling satanic propaganda, trying to get heavy metal albums banned.” He rolled his eyes, “Dumbasses.”

David raised his eyebrow at the guy, who was savvy enough to look down pretty quickly before he continued. “Anyway, isn’t the first time either. Been hearing similar stories round the country. Just a matter of time until the panic spreads here too.” He looked at the boys with some apprehension, obviously uncomfortable given what he seemed to have gleaned about them over the years. 

“How about that,” David clicked his tongue against his teeth. “Paulie, think there’s a bunch of devil worshippers running around? You corrupted any youth with your boombox lately?”

“Couldn’t say,” Paul laughed, although he seemed a little thrown too, “any ideas, Marko?”

Marko grinned ironically, “Here in little old Santa Carla? That’d be something.”

An uneasy silence descended over the store, despite the joking. David gave Paul a subtle nod, “ _Time to go._ ”

Paul fished some odds and ends out of his pocket, dropping a torn-up wallet marred by a suspicious brown stain and some mismatched earrings on the counter. “Catch ya later,” he winked at the nervous-looking metalhead and scooped up his cache of new CDs. The rest of the boys followed him out of the store and into the night.


	2. Dead can dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a shorter one, but we're moving right along...

Michael, Marko, and Paul parked their bikes in the usual spot on the boardwalk. The night air was wet, almost salty. A dense fog refracted all the artificial lights that twinkled along the strip into constellations of blurred halos. The trio loitered, killing time while they waited for Dwayne and David to rejoin them. They passed a joint back and forth and watched the crowd with their usual air of boredom and calculation.

“Thinking I’m gonna refresh my duds soon,” Marko mused, his gaze following a group of loudly dressed teens pass by, eyes lit up with something other than hunger for once

Paul snorted, “I’ll believe it when I see it, Marky-boy!”

“Times are changing, Paulie.” Marko slid his hand under the other vampire’s jacket, rattling the metallic trimmings that studded the black leather, “Gotta keep up.”

“Yeah, you’re a real dedicated follower of fashion.” Paul ducked out of Marko’s reach.

“Dunno about all that,” Michael said, “the classics never go out of style.” He gestured down at his outfit with a lazy flourish, smirking.

“Says the sexy boy in his leather pants and his leather jacket.” Marko rolled his eyes, “Boring. Tall, dark, and boring.”

Michael chose not to respond, settling back against the railing and lighting a cigarette. He was feeling a little uneasy tonight. He watched the passersby distractedly. What was David off doing? Ever since their little conversation at the record store, the head vampire had been acting odd, had seemed remote, preoccupied. Even now, five years after his turning, Michael found it difficult to be away from David for long periods of time. It made his skin itch, put him on edge. He found himself anxiously scanning the crowd, his senses unconsciously extended, waiting impatiently for his master’s return.

After a while, a group of outlandishly-dressed teenagers walked by. They were wearing all black, and he could have sworn that a few of the boys were wearing nail polish and eyeliner. “Now that’s a look,” Michael rejoined the conversation.

Marko snickered, “You ever wear make-up, Mikey?”

“Have you?” 

“Course,” Marko replied, smug, “done full drag once or twice, even, back in the day.” An almost wistful expression briefly flashed across his face, “Wasn’t really my thing, but it can be fun.”

Michael raised an eyebrow, trying to imagine him dressed up like a woman.

Marko did a half-twirl and tucked himself against Michael coquettishly, “I’ll have you know, Mikey, I clean up real nice.”

“I think some black nail polish would look pretty cool,” Paul decided. “Wonder where we could get some?”

“Nail polish, Paulie? We leave for an hour and this is what you lot get up to?” David and Dwayne had reappeared from their mysterious errand. 

Paul huffed, “I could definitely pull it off.” He stretched his hand out, examining it from different angles under the lamplight.

“So where were you guys?” Michael asked, a note of anxiety lacing his voice.

An obscure look crossed the David’s face. “Just checking on some things,” he said vaguely, not offering any more information.

“Sounds cool,” Marko deadpanned, “so are we eating or what?”

David grinned and the five vampires took off on their bikes. Michael had been so distracted by David and Dwayne’s absence that he hadn’t noticed the blonde teenager hidden behind a kiosk, who had been watching the bikers since they had arrived at the boardwalk that night.

__

“Man, that hit the spot!” Marko grinned a bloody grin, “nothing like a good ol’ helping of Surf Nazi scum.”

“Gonna be picking seaweed out of my teeth for days though,” Paul complained, resting his head against Marko’s shoulder. Dwayne had already started hauling the bodies out over the ocean.

Michael laughed, “I just want to get rid of the tanning oil aftertaste.” He made a face, “Ugh, it’s like Banana Boat à la mode.”

“So picky,” David licked a stripe up Michael’s cheek, tasting blood. Michael leaned into it, relishing in the intensity of his attention. The gesture settled something in him that had been tense all night. Revitalized, he growled, flipping David over and tonguing at the blood dripping down his chin. They worked off the buzz of a fresh kill until David had him pinned and panting underneath him. Michael could hear Paul and Marko laughing and catcalling nearby. David gave him one last rough lick and then stood up, dusting the sand off his black trench with a devious grin.

Michael groaned, collapsing into a pile with Marko and Paul, who grabbed him, giggling. “Poor Mikey,” Marko laughed even harder, “all dressed up and nowhere to go.” The three younger vampires slipped easily into their habitual post-hunt choreography, an effortless dance of sex and blood that they never tired of rehearsing. Like clockwork, Marko divested Michael of his shirt, slipping a hand down his pants. Paul applied himself to Michael’s nipples, teasing and twisting them, while Marko proceeded to give him an expert hand job. It didn’t take long. Michael came quickly, gasping as he released all over Marko's palm. Coating his own hand with the sticky mess, Michael pressed a finger into Marko, biting into his neck with a low growl. Paul slid behind Marko, holding him in place and biting him from the other side. Michael added another finger, then another, and soon Marko was writhing, arching up to meet Michael’s thrusts as the two vampires sucked at his throat. His eyes rolling back in his head as he came. Michael turned to Paul, eyes golden, and leaned in, taking his cock into his mouth with a practiced motion. Once he had recovered, Marko began tracing his claws up and down Paul’s chest, drawing rivulets of blood across his skin, an awed, sated expression on his face. Paul didn’t last much longer than the others, and soon he was pulsing down Michael’s throat. There was a familiar, uncomplicated rhythm to the sex; its harmony belied only by its bloodiness.

By the time the three younger vampires had cleaned each other up, Dwayne had returned from his last flight out over the water. “Alright, boys, that’s enough for tonight,” David bit back a lascivious smile, tucking himself back into his own pants. Wiping his hands, he slipped on his gloves and surveyed the beach coolly. His eyes narrowed when he spotted a distant light flickering under the boardwalk. “Well,” he frowned, “looks like we’re not alone after all.”

David smoothed out his features and the four silently followed him over to the source of the light, moving in perfect unison. There were two teens, Chicano by the looks of it, huddled over some burning candles. They had been facing away from the water, shielding the flames, didn’t seem to have heard anything over the roar of the ocean. But the vampires couldn’t be sure that their exploits had gone unnoticed.

“Pretty late to be out here, boys.” David caught the pair’s attention. The first boy was heavier, muscular, had neatly styled hair and prominent tattoos. His arm moved instinctively to wrap around the other boy, who had a darker complexion and long hair, an armful of silver bracelets, and chipped black nail polish. 

“ _See,_ ” Paul pointed, nudging David, “ _this kid has his nails painted. I could definitely pull it off!_ ”

“ _Not now, Paul,_ ” David didn’t take his eyes off the interlopers. His smile widened, becoming predatory.

“Listen man,” the first one said, his voice wavering with fear as he addressed David, “we’re minding our own business.” His companion stared silently at the strangers, an incongruously calm expression on his face.

David squatted down, examined the array of objects, trinkets and other odds and ends, that the pair had laid out on the sand around the candles. “Looks to me like you’re up to something.” The candlelight cast sharp, flickering shadows over the vampire’s face.

Both boys remained tight lipped. There was a sweet, almost citrusy scent coming from some resin burning in a shallow dish near the candles. Dwayne broke rank, crouching near David to smell the curl of smoke rising up. “Copal?” He looked curiously at the boys, speaking aloud in a soft voice. The long-haired kid nodded.

Dwayne gave David an odd look, “ _Let’s leave them alone._ ”

“ _Yeah?”_ David was intrigued.

Dwayne closed his eyes, breathing in the scent again, a distant expression settling over his features. “ _This is old magic, better to let it be._ ”

“You know who we are?” David asked, tone even.

The muscular boy tightened his grip protectively around the other boy’s shoulder. “We’ve seen you around.”

“Then you know what happens to anyone who crosses us.”

It was the long-haired boy who spoke this time, “We hate those assholes, this beach is better off without them.” His eyes glittered, reflecting the flames of the candles burning around them.

The kid was playing a dangerous game, acknowledging what they had witnessed. “Glad we understand each other, then.” David held the boy’s stare. “Careful out here,” he smiled darkly, “never know what kind of monsters you might cross paths with.” He gestured to the others, and they slipped away into the darkness, leaving the two boys alone on the beach.

__

“ _That was really weird_ ,” Paul observed, staring at Dwayne from the edge of the pool. They were rinsing off in the water that ran deep within the hotel.

Dwayne shrugged, relaxing into the bath, impassive.

Marko swam over to the dark-haired vampire, giving him a friendly sniff, “ _Yeah Dwaney, what’s going on in that head of yours_?” Dwayne just smiled and gently pushed him under the water, holding him there. Struggling to the surface, Marko sent a few frustrated splashes his way in retaliation. 

Michael leaned over to Paul, plucking a joint from behind his ear, as he watched Marko antagonize the older vampire. “ _Better to let sleeping dogs lie, I’d say,_ ” he remarked, lighting up, eyes still trained on the unfolding clash, curious to see how it might go. He didn’t really understand what the whole encounter at the beach had been about, why they hadn’t just helped themselves to some dessert. But he was feeling pretty good, couldn’t really bring himself to be overly concerned. The hunt had been a satisfying one and it was always pleasant to mess around afterwards. He could feel David’s steady presence, putting his mind at ease.

Paul giggled, stirring the pot, “ _Hear that, brother? Mikey just called you a dog._ ” Dwayne just opened an eye, glancing lazily at Michael before returning to his state of repose. Paul pouted a bit, disappointed that the older vampire hadn’t taken his bait.

David was also ignoring their antics, perched on the side of the pool fiddling with a broken transistor radio. He slammed the gadget down with frustration, seething. Paul swam over, “ _Let me give it a try._ ” He hoisted himself out of the pool, shaking out his mane of hair and sending a shower of water back over the other three vampires. Soon the two were huddled over the radio, hard at work.

Marko swam over to Michael, helping himself to what was left of the joint. He settled against the other vampire as he took a pull. “ _Feeling better?_ ” The look he gave Michael was gentle, but there was an edge to it. Michael pulled him closer, wanting to put him at ease, to reassure him. He thought back to Dwayne’s warning with a frown, regretting the distance he knew he had been placing between them. He didn’t know why he had been so preoccupied with his former family lately. They seemed so irrelevant, so remote; as he soaked in the pool with his brothers, nothing else in the world seemed to matter. Michael gazed affectionately at the sharp lineaments of Marko’s face, the familiar ridges that shadowed the sockets of his eyes, hard and unnaturally smooth. Marko tried to lighten the mood, giving Michael a playful shove. “ _Try not to worry so much, Mikey,”_ a maniac smile twisted his features, “ _it spoils the fun_.” With that, he wriggled away, kicking water up at the younger vampire as he dove down, headed towards Dwayne’s ankles.

A few minutes later, Paul let out a triumphant whoop: they had finally gotten the radio working. Smug, he launched himself into the pool, cannonballing into the deepest section. Marko took the opportunity to waylay the other vampire, and soon the two were splashing and fighting loudly, to Dwayne’s chagrin. David’s mood hadn’t much improved now that the radio was functioning. He spent the rest of the night sliding from station to station, intently focused on the staticky signal, searching for some unknown frequency. 

__

A few nights later, Paul and Michael had stationed themselves outside the local dive bar, looking for any straggling spring breakers that might still be hanging around town. David had given them firm instructions to be extra careful, to make sure they didn’t go after anyone that might be missed.

“What about them?” Michael pointed to a group of shrieking bottle blondes that had tumbled out into the night. The girls were like fireworks: sparkling, loud, and annoying as shit if you weren’t in the mood.

Paul shook his head gloomily, “Nope.”

“Fine,” Michael kept his eyes trained on the door, watching as a crew of rowdy twenty-somethings exited. “Those guys, then? They don’t seem ready to call it a night.”

“Locals.” Paul blinked solemnly, pretending to be a real stickler, “House rules, Mikey.”

“I give up,” Michael leaned dramatically against Paul with a cranky sigh. “I’m too hungry for this shit.”

They ended up picking a fight with a pair of skinheads that were passing through town. The guys were beefy and blackout drunk, an ideal combination. Guys like that could sustain a high enough blood alcohol level to render a decent second-hand buzz, but were usually pretty easy to knock out. Tended to overestimate themselves. Once they had finished them off, the two vampires were in a much better mood.

“That guy really thought he had you!” Paul trilled, doubling over with drunken laughter, as he wiped up blood from his chin.

Michael clutched at his stomach, tears of laughter in his eyes, “I thought the other one was going to piss his pants when he saw you.”

“Good thing he didn’t.” Paul leaned in closer, nose to nose with Michael. They looked at each other seriously for a full second before they lost it again, dissolving into hysterics. After a while they caught their breath, so to speak, and got themselves cleaned up. The night was still young and they didn’t have time for pit stops. Once all the blood was lapped up, they stumbled towards their bikes, pausing every few feet and breaking into fits of laughter again.

The ride to the boardwalk sobered the pair up a bit, and they had regained their composure, more or less, by the time they reached the boardwalk. As they were parking their bikes at the usual spot, Michael felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He whirled around to find himself face to face with a blonde teenager who had been patiently lying in wait for them. It was Sam.


	3. The smell of our own

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone does a lot of talking; lots more talking to come.

Sam froze as his brother turned to face him. He had been spying on him for the past few days, but finally seeing Michael up close was still shocking. He looked exactly the same as he had five years ago. It was uncanny. Michael’s eyes widened for a second before they narrowed. “What are you doing here, Sammy?” His voice was flat, drained of emotion.

“Shit, we thought you were dead, Mike.” Sam swallowed, trying to process what he was seeing, but he still couldn’t believe his eyes. Michael was right there, in the flesh, after all this time. “When you disappeared, we thought you were gone.” 

Michael just stared at him. “Nope, not gone,” he said simply, although his jaw visibly tensed.

“I can’t believe you’re here, I missed you so much, I….” Sam wanted to hug his brother, but there was something foreboding about Michael, something that stopped him from following the impulse. Michael looked so different, somehow, even though his face was the same. Exactly the same. It was almost like looking at a complete stranger wearing his brother’s face, the way that Michael was regarding him with a look of guarded wariness. But it was him! His hair was a little longer, wilder, maybe, his clothes new and unfamiliar, but it was him. Sam looked searchingly at his older brother, a deluge of memories flooding into his mind all at once. “Mike,” he said, his voice awed, “you’re really alive.”

Michael frowned and cast a sidelong glance at the blonde biker that he had arrived with. The other guy shrugged, raising his eyebrows and biting back what almost looked like a laugh. 

All of a sudden, another biker with a bleach blonde mullet appeared and threw an arm possessively around Michael. “Am I interrupting a family reunion?” he sneered, giving Sam a chilly look, "How touching." Two others had parked their rides and silently gathered around them. Sam recognized them instantly: these were the same guys that always seemed to be accompanying Michael. Sam remembered them from five years ago, from the last time he had really seen his brother. Michael didn’t attempt to shrug off the blonde’s arm. To the contrary, he seemed almost relieved by his presence. Sam was struck by how seamlessly they seemed to fit together, how much his brother seemed to belong with the bikers.

“So,” David continued to stare mercilessly at Sam, “you found your wayward brother.” He raised his eyebrows, widening his eyes mockingly, “Surprise.” 

“David,” Michel sounded uncomfortable.

“No, no,” David interrupted, “Sammy here’s been looking for you and now here we all are.”

“Mike,” Sammy looked desperately at his brother, trying to get him to acknowledge him. He was acting so strange; it didn’t make any sense. “What happened? Where have you been? Are you okay?” The questions rushed out, piling one on top of the other.

Michael didn’t respond, but emotion finally seemed to register on his face. He looked troubled as he turned to the blonde. They stared intently at one another for a long time, like they were having a silent argument. The other three bikers remained circled in close ranks around them, not blinking, not saying a word. Michael glanced quickly, almost apologetically, at the tall, dark-haired one before turning back to Sam.

“Okay Sammy, why don’t we go somewhere to sit down and talk.”

__

Michael was standing in line with Sam waiting to order at the burger joint. David had taken a seat at a booth in the back corner of the place. He looked out of place alone under the harsh artificial lights as he sat in his black trench, arms crossed, glowering.

“Pick out whatever you want, Sammy, I’m paying,” Michael gave his younger brother a weak smile. He felt around in his pocket, double-checking that he had some loot on him to pay; it was probably a bad idea to play any mind games in front of Sam. It felt surreal to be standing next to the younger boy again, doing something so normal, so ordinary as ordering a burger. It was like no time at all had passed, but also like a lifetime had gone by. He had been totally caught off guard by the confrontation at the boardwalk, hadn’t known how to react. It was like changing course while you were going ninety miles an hour, slowing down and turning around on a dime. He had no idea what to say, how to be, so he remained silent. Sam was also thrown too off kilter to try to talk, but he kept sneaking glances of Michael, mouth agape. A few painful minutes later they were carrying a tray back to the table. Sam sat on the empty side of the booth and Michael slid in next to David. He relaxed a little as he moved closer to the other vampire, his shoulders unclenching as David casually slung his arm around the back of the seat. He narrowly stopped himself from leaning into the embrace, kept his face blank as he met Sam’s eyes.

Sam nibbled on a fry, “You aren’t eating?”

“Nope,” David answered curtly, speaking for both of them. “ _This is a terrible idea, Michael. I already regret going along with it._ ” He tapped his gloved fingers on the Formica table impatiently, “ _What exactly do you want to get out of this little charade?_ ”

Michael ignored David’s complaints, trying to focus on Sam. He had spent so many nights watching him from afar, contemplating what it would be like to see him again. Had been torturing himself with it lately, although he hadn’t expected it to actually happen. Hadn’t even really _wanted_ it to, in the end. The possibility had been an abstract, theoretical one. He wasn’t surprised to find that he didn’t feel much at all. Just a mild sense of vertigo faced with a living reminder of who, of what he had once been. His old life and his new one, locked in a stark confrontation in the form of the two blondes currently facing off across the table.

“Why is he even here?” Sam nodded at David with an expression of frustration.

“David goes where I go,” Michael said simply. “Now, what do you want?”

“What do I want?!” Sam was starting to get upset. “Mike, we thought you were dead! Gone forever! You just disappeared. What the fuck is going on? Why are you acting so weird?”

“Calm down kid,” David said, looking entertained. 

“Do I look dead?” Michael felt the corners of his mouth turn slightly upwards in amusement. It was funny, almost, to see Sam floundering like this, struggling to make sense of things that he couldn’t even begin to comprehend. It was like they were in two totally different movies. It crossed his mind too that he actually had no idea what he looked like anyway, hadn’t seen himself in a mirror since he turned. He found himself growing impatient, unused to spending so much time around food when he wasn’t intending to eat. Couldn’t Sam see that things had changed? He wasn’t sure, though, exactly how much he should tell him, how much he might have already figured out. “Sammy,” his voice was blunt, “I know you’ve been following us. You must have some idea of what’s going on.”

Sam looked down at his plate, distressed, this clearly wasn’t going at all how he had expected it to. “There are stories,” he began, “about, you know, you guys. Bunch of bikers that hang out on the boardwalk, never seem to get any older.” He moved a fry around on his plate, dipping it in some ketchup. “After you went missing, Mike, people started to say that there were five of them now, instead of four.” He gulped, “People say to stay away from you guys.”

“Good advice,” David looked even more amused, somehow. “ _Too bad he didn’t take it,_ ” he added privately.

Sam stared at Michael, “It’s like you haven’t gotten any older. I mean, shit, it’s like we’re the same age now.” A look of horror settled over his features as realization dawned on him, as what he was looking at sunk in. “You’re one of them, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, Sammy, I am.” Michael’s voice was calm but firm. At least this was something that he knew for sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt: he was one of them, he was theirs.

“I don’t understand. How is that possible? What does that even mean?”

David chuckled softly, “Why don’t you go ahead and explain it, Michael? It’s pretty simple.”

Michael glared at him, “ _Cut the shit, David._ ”

That just made David laugh more. “ _You wanted to talk to the twerp. If I had my way, he’d be dinner and we would be doing something more fun by now._ ” He traced a fingertip lightly down Michael’s back, eliciting an involuntary shiver. “ _You remember fun, don’t you Michael?_ ”

The thought of what he now considered fun painted itself violently and vividly in Michael’s mind. “Fun” was, under current circumstances, a chastening thought. He frowned, contemplating Sam’s face. “The less you know, the better,” he said grimly, sighing, “In fact, you should probably just forget that you ever saw me.”

“Mike,” Sam pleaded. Sam really was older now, a little more reserved than he used to be, a little less open. But he couldn’t help himself, “Mike,” he began again, “I missed you.”

Michael could smell the emotions battling it out within the boy, hope and frustration, affection and despair. It was exhausting, this catalogue of meaningless feeling. It was all just so much noise. He knew now for sure that he wasn’t capable of missing Sam back, not really. But the longer they sat there, the more confused he felt. A vaguely protective instinct had begun to settle over him as long-forgotten memories of his former life tentatively surfaced, consolidating and taking shape in his mind. There was a faint but distinct recollection, lodged inconveniently in the back of his mind, of not wanting to hurt the boy, of wanting to keep him safe. Michael focused on that memory as he responded. “Sammy, things have changed. I’m not…” He tried to gather his thoughts. He felt an absurd impulse to try to comfort Sam. But that was a bad idea, it would be better for everyone involved if could just make things clear. He began again, wincing a little, “I’m not your brother anymore.” 

Sam’s face fell.

“Vampires,” David put it bluntly, deciding to just rip off the Band-Aid. “We’re vampires, and Michael here is one of us now, will be one of us forever. Eats people and everything.” He grinned, leaning back imperiously with something resembling a twinkle in his eye, “Just had a pretty good meal too, otherwise you’d be looking pretty tasty.”

Sam’s eyes widened. He’d heard rumors, everyone who lived in Santa Carla long enough had, but he had never believed them. He reeled, felt numb, like his mind was shutting down. He wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it, but he found that he implicitly believed him. Fear coiled in his stomach as he stared at the two boys sitting in front of him. He was starting to panic. Vampires weren’t real, they couldn’t be. David and Michael remained silent, watching him with matching, inscrutable expressions. 

“Don’t worry kid,” he continued in a mockery of a comforting tone, tenting his gloved fingers, “we’re not gonna eat you.” His eyes flashed, “So long as you leave us alone, we’ll leave you alone.”

“ _Happy, Michael?”_ David raised an eyebrow, “ _Now he knows the score._ ” Michael frowned as he realized that in his own way, David was actually trying to help him.

“Oh,” Sam said, dumbly. He tried to eat a fry, but it was cold. Finally, he laughed faintly, “Not a kid anymore, I’m practically as old as Mike is,” he paused, confused, “was?”

“Yeah,” Michael smiled, but the smile didn’t really reach his eyes, “you’re all grown up now, huh.” His eyes darted around the interior of the restaurant, as if he was searching for something. Sam was as old as he had been, would be forever. And now he was moving forward in his life, going beyond anything that Michael had ever, would ever experience: going to college, getting married, having his own kids, growing old. Rinse and repeat. Michael’s smile turned bitter. His skin felt constraining all of a sudden, like it was wrapped too tightly around his skeleton. He felt the ghost of his fangs pressing at his gums, felt his claws ready to tear through his fingers. Felt his vision narrow, resorting the world into pack and prey. The sound of blood and heartbeats filled his ears, a secret soundtrack that the people around them were oblivious to; only the quiet stillness in David’s chest provided respite from the thrum of life. He tried to school his features. “Bet you’re heading off to college soon, right?”

Sam nodded, numb, “Yeah, leaving for New York at the end of the summer.”

An unidentifiable look crossed Michael’s face, but he remained silent. David’s hand drifted down and started rubbing gentle circles into his back.

Sam stared at him and David, noticing for the first time how close they were sitting, catching sight of the blonde’s arm around his brother. His eyes widened as he sought to make sense of the gesture. It didn’t really compute.

“ _This is dangerous._ ” Michael could detect an undercurrent of concern, of solicitude in David’s tone.

“ _I know,_ ” Michael sighed internally, not sure what he even wanted to do. This whole interaction had become excruciating, but he found himself unable to just walk away. The longer he sat facing his brother the more he felt the shadow of old feelings of protectiveness towards him. The more he felt a strange, foreign sensation of something like regret, of something like longing for the sun-drenched world to which he no longer belonged. “ _But he’s leaving town soon. And he’s taking this pretty well, right? What’s the harm?_ ”

David had to bite back a laugh at this. “ _The harm, Michael? You mean other than your little existential crisis distracting you from us?_ ”

“ _It’s not like that, David. But why not just give him some closure before he leaves?_ ”

David looked at him skeptically. “ _Sounds tedious, but I’m not gonna stop you, if that’s what it takes for you to get over this little fixation._ ” He kept pressing comfortingly into Michael’s back. _“But it can’t go further than this. You know that right? If Lucy gets involved, well, let’s just say that mothers can be unpredictable._ ” David sighed, “ _Paul and Marko couldn’t wait to off their human families, made things so much simpler for them._ ”

“Sam, you can’t tell Lucy,” Michael finally broke the silence. “I mean mom, you can’t tell her that you saw me. She can’t know about any of this.”

Sam nodded dumbly. This was all too much, how could his brother be a vampire? How was this even real? But there he was in front of him, looking exactly the same as he had five years ago and acting so oddly. It felt like they were out of sync, none of Michael’s reactions made any sense to him.

“Promise me,” Michael’s face darkened. If Sam hadn’t believed them before, the inhuman look on his brother’s face would have removed all doubt from his mind.

“Yeah, Mike,” Sam said weakly, “I promise.” He looked down, a conflicted expression on his face. He was frightened, but he had so many questions. He knew he should be afraid, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away, to leave things alone now that he knew Michael was still around. “Can I see you again?”

David shrugged, “ _Your funeral, Michael._ ”

Michael gave Sam a small, slightly unnerving smile. “Yeah, we can talk again. Once in a while, before you leave. But don’t go looking for me.” His expression became threatening again as the reality of it set in. “I won’t be able to protect you if you stick your head where it doesn’t belong.”

“I think we’re done here,” David squeezed Michael’s shoulder and drew himself up. He gave Sam a thin smile that quickly curdled into a frown, “See ya round, kid.” Michael shot Sam an almost apologetic look as the two vampires left the younger boy to finish his meal alone.

“ _Be careful what you wish for, Michael_ , _you just might just get it._ ” David squinted into the distance, a faint look of concern painted across his features as he led Michael away.

“ _Don’t._ ”

“ _Twerp couldn’t keep his eyes off us_ , _wonder what that’s about_.”

Michael bit back a smile, already feeling better, already feeling the tension that had been building up melt away into the darkness, “ _Can’t imagine, David._ ” He slid his arm around the other vampire, savoring the way that his maker's scent mingled with the crisp night air. David smiled softly in return, although a worried look remained in his eyes.

__

They found the rest of the boys prowling the boardwalk. Marko snuck a glance at Michael, chewing on his glove, “That was fast. Everything alright, Mikey?”

“Decided we weren’t in the mood for hamburgers,” Michael smirked.

Marko rolled his eyes, but didn’t pursue the topic. They walked on, heading back towards their bikes. Paul gave Michael a friendly nudge before throwing an arm around Marko, pointing out something in the crowd that soon had the two vampires laughing. 

The boardwalk was extra loud and full of people that night. The din of the crowd was punctuated by the periodic chorus of screams coming from the roller coaster that laced around the fairgrounds, tracing a glowing arabesque against the night sky. The sounds blended together: shrieking children, vendors hawking cotton candy, even the faint sound of a saxophone solo in the distance.

Michael fell into sync with his pack. The boys cut a shark-like figure as they walked the strip: the night belonged to them, this was their element. Even David was smiling after a few minutes...maybe it would be a good night after all.

An unusually large group of people were gathering in the distance, and the boys moved in to investigate. The crowd was watching a strangely-dressed guy who had installed himself on a particularly busy part of the strip. “Is that an actual soapbox?” Paul cackled, pointing at the shoddy platform under the man’s feet. David narrowed his eyes, positioning himself in front of the rest of the boys. Marko was standing on tip-toes, trying to get a better vantage onto the scene. The sound of a megaphone being turned on cut through the air, electric and deafening.

“Sinners!” The man began, launching into a tirade, “Repent! Repent and you will be saved!” He gazed imploringly at the assembled crowd, “For too long Satan has ruled this beach! How many of you have looked the other way, have sinned, have denied god?” He had begun jumping up and down, “How many of you have listened to the devil’s music? We must burn his records! Burn them before it’s too late and your children are sent into the fires of hell! Repent now! Be saved! Fill yourself with the grace of our lord, bathe in his glory! Reject the devil’s temptations…”

A clutch of teenage girls started giggling, and a punk spat in the guy’s face, laughing, before stomping off in his combat boots. The crowd began to thin almost immediately, as the thrill-seeking teenagers and tourists that populated the boardwalk at night lost interest and began to disperse. The preacher continued to shout into the night, only becoming more and more frenzied in his ravings, although no one much seemed to care. Only a few stragglers remained, parents nodding grimly, clutching their kids close with worried expressions.

As soon as the man’s oration had begun, though, Michael felt himself get weak, overcome by a strange dizziness. Marko had also blanched, looking unsteady and wan. David quickly steered the two younger vampires away, interposing himself between them and the preacher. Dwayne and Paul followed, keeping themselves close to the others. Michael was stumbling, leaning on David as they made their way down to the shore. The preacher’s amplified voice seemed to follow them faintly, carried on the wind.

“ _Shit,_ ” Paul looked annoyed, “ _this could become a problem._ ”

Dwayne’s lips were set in a thin line, his eyes quietly burning. David quickly led them to an outcropping of rocks down on the beach, out of sight and far enough away that they couldn’t hear the guy’s booming voice anymore. Wordlessly, he sliced open his wrist and offered it to Michael. He nodded to Dwayne, who did the same for Marko. The two vampires drank, recovering themselves. Michael felt better almost immediately as his maker’s blood flooded his system, restoring and strengthening him. After a few minutes he licked at the wound and glanced up, relieved to see Paul standing close by with a look of concern written across his face. Dwayne kept Marko close after the younger vampire finished feeding, enclosing him in a protective gesture.

Marko spoke first, “ _That fucker._ ” He looked furious.

“ _What was that?_ ” Michael was confused, still felt a little dazed.

Paul looked at him sharply, speaking with uncharacteristic seriousness. “ _Gotta be careful, Mikey. You’re pretty young, both of you are._ ” He nodded at Marko, who was still visibly fuming. “ _Can’t handle too much of that kind of talk yet._ ”

“ _Seriously?_ ” Michael had come to terms with the fact he couldn’t really touch crosses without getting burnt, and he believed the boys when they told him to steer clear of holy water. Standard horror movie stuff, hadn’t really given it much thought. But this seemed like a little much.

“What exactly,” David’s face was unreadable, his voice even, “do you think we are, Michael?” He paused, peering at him, “You don’t think the devil has something to do with it?”


	4. Love lasts forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a tricky one to write (especially because the next chapter is probably my favorite—it contains some of the first Sam-related scenes that I wrote for this story). Worried I’ve gone off the deep end here or am being overly obscure. In any event, wow, are these boys handsy and codependent.

Michael stared back at David, unsure of how to respond. Unsteady, he looked to Dwayne, Paul, and Marko, his gaze traveling slowly between them. The three vampires leered at him with matching dark expressions, eyes glowing eerily against the faint light of the moon. The only sound that broke the silence was the relentless crashing of waves against the shore. What David had said made sense, but it was a hard pill to swallow, even without the reminder of his own humanity lingering uncomfortably from his time with Sam earlier that evening. He pressed his lips together. The devil. He had been naïve to think otherwise. Hadn’t even given it much thought since he was turned, if he was honest with himself.

It was Paul who broke first, “ _Mikey, you should see your face! You’re too much fun to mess with._ ” He threw his back head, laughing, and grabbed Michael, tackling him to the ground with a friendly shove. Marko also started to giggle, burying his face into Dwayne’s shoulder. The dark-haired vampire was holding back a smirk as he raised an eyebrow at Michael.

“ _Really had you going for a second there_.” David’s eyes narrowed in amusement, a smile dancing across his lips.

Michael pulled himself up, throwing Paul off, and ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. This only made Paul and Marko laugh harder. “ _Fine, you got me_ ,” he glared at them each in turn; five years in and they hadn’t gotten tired of hazing him when the opportunity arose. But his anger quickly mellowed into curiosity, “ _So what was that all about then_?”

Paul shrugged, taking pity on the younger vampire, “ _Like I said, brother, you can’t really handle that kind of thing yet, it fucks you up. Couldn’t say why._ ”

“ _Well that really clears things up, thanks_.” Michael turned back to David with an exasperated expression, remembering how the preacher’s words had cut him to the quick. Even recalling the man’s impromptu sermon sent a shudder of revulsion down his spine. “ _Okay, but what are we exactly_?”

David looked up at the stars, silent for a beat. “ _Who knows_ ,” he held out his arms, “ _but I’m not complaining_.”

It was an unsatisfying answer, Michael thought, but David had a point. Wasn’t really their style to dwell on shit that didn’t matter anyway. That was the whole issue with this Sam business, as far as his brothers were concerned.

“ _Paul’s right though,”_ Dwayne frowned, _“this is a problem._ ”

_“Yeah,_ ” Paul grimaced, dusting off the layer of sand that was now coating his clothes, “ _fucker is really gonna cramp our style unless we do something about it.”_

Marko had stopped laughing, the fun of messing with Michael wearing off. He turned to glare out in the direction of the boardwalk, his face shifting into its true form, eyes burning with rage, “ _Can’t believe I still have to deal with this shit, like these assholes didn’t fuck with me enough when I was alive._ ” Fury rolled off the vampire, crackling in the night air. Michael couldn’t help but catch the bloody images that were cycling through his mind. He still felt on edge himself, and it was hard not to get swept up in the violent whirl of Marko’s emotions. He was starting to feel dizzy again.

David’s expression turned serious, “ _I’ll get these two home._ _Paul, Dwayne, go get your bikes and meet us at the hotel. Then I’ll make another trip back out with you to grab the other three._ ” He turned to Michael and Marko, “ _You good to fly?_ ”

__

David carded his fingers through Michael’s hair, staring off into the distance, deep in thought. Michael had settled on his knees, leaning against David’s chair with his head resting on his lap. Michael closed his eyes, losing himself in the lulling touch. He let the awkwardness of his talk with Sam drain from his mind, let the encounter with the preacher melt away, even let go of all his unanswered questions from the beach. After the night he had experienced, it felt good to let go of it all, to just put himself in David’s hands. The impulse had taken some getting used to, had been anathema to what remained of his human sensibilities at first, but in the end it came naturally. Didn’t really see any reason to pretend that it didn’t, hadn’t bothered to in a long time.

“ _So how are we gonna kill him?_ ” Marko was pacing the lobby angrily. His face was still twisted in rage. Up in the rafters, his flock of pigeons was restive, as if sensing the vampire’s foul mood. The murderous images broadcasting from his mind had lost none of their vividness since the beach.

Dwayne cocked his head to the side, “ _Think we should wait a bit, see if he sticks around or not._ ”

“ _What the fuck, brother?”_ Marko snapped, surprised, _“That doesn’t sound like you._ ”

_“Going after him might be more trouble than it’s worth,”_ Dwayne cast his eyes softly, protectively on the younger vampire.

“ _Should find out where he came from, if somebody sent him, if there are others on the way._ ” Paul was slumped against the fountain, almost completely sober for once.

David kept massaging his fingers through Michael’s curls, still staring off into the darkness. Finally, he spoke, “ _Hate to say it, but Paul’s right. There’s more at stake here._ ” He shook his head, making a decision, “ _He’s not really the problem, anyway, more like a symptom._ ”

Marko stopped his pacing, “ _What’s that supposed to mean?_ ” His gaze was smoldering.

“ _Hmmm?_ ” Michael cracked open a golden eye, forcing himself to pay attention to the conversation.

David frowned, “ _Remember that thing we heard about at the record store a few weeks back?_ _The investigation? Well Dwayne and I have been looking into it, keeping an eye out the past few weeks._ ” His frown deepened, “ _They’ve been making more arrests, whole community’s up in arms…and the accusations, well, there are some pretty wild claims being thrown around. They think they’re on the verge of discovering some elaborate satanic conspiracy. Ritual murder, human sacrifice, the works._ ” He let Michael’s hair slip from his hand and tented his fingers, leaning his elbows on the arms of his chair.

Dwane had gotten up as David was talking. He came back over with a stack of newspapers. Supermarket tabloids with loud headlines. He passed them around.

Paul raised his eyebrows, whistling. Even Marko looked a little shocked as he glanced over the rags.

“ _Cute, huh?_ ” David’s smile was bleak.

_“At first,”_ Dwayne began, _“we thought maybe it was the work of another pack edging in on our territory. Sloppy, but it would make sense, word has probably gotten around by now that Max is gone. It was going to happen sooner or later._ ” He paused, “ _But the funny thing is that there don’t actually seem to be any bodies. Just a lot of sensational stories. Really shocking, imaginative stuff._ _But no bodies, nothing that would indicate that anything actually happened.”_

“ _Amazing what humans can dream up._ _You spend enough time poking around in their heads_ _and you won’t be surprised by much_.” David laughed ruefully, “ _Don’t think I could’ve come up some of this shit, and I’d like to consider myself a real monster._ ” He gave Paul a sidelong glance, “ _Even more gruesome than some of your best work, brother._ ”

_“Still, it’s going to trial,”_ Dwayne continued, _“attracting a lot of national attention, not just these tabloids but talk shows, televangelists. The investigation is casting its net farther and farther, getting closer to Santa Carla. Then you have these religious groups coming in, claiming that they’ve uncovered something big. Pointing fingers everywhere.”_

_“Thinking this might explain our new friend,”_ David added, waving his hand vaguely, “ _vultures, circling._ ”

“ _Shit,”_ Paul frowned, “ _these types like to see Satan under every bed, in every corner. Definitely learned that the hard way._ ” His eyes shuttered; he really didn’t like thinking about his former life.

Marko finished reading the tabloid he had grabbed, crumpling it up and throwing it to the floor with a scowl, exchanging a dark look with Paul. “ _Same old shit. Won’t somebody think of the children! Why won’t anybody think of the children?_ ” He clutched at himself theatrically, falling over with mock concern. “ _Blackmail,_ ” he spat out, “ _Never give a shit about the children they actually have, especially not if they’re inconvenient_.” He moved over to sit next to Paul, wrapping himself tightly around the other vampire, tucking his chin over his shoulder, a fierce glint in his eyes.

“ _I don’t get it though,_ ” Michael said, rousing himself fully, “ _if there’s no evidence, how are people being arrested?_ ”

David raised his eyebrows, “ _Ever hear of the Salem witch trials_?” 

Michael nodded, “ _Rings a bell_.”

“ _You around for that_?” Paul asked warily. 

“ _Yep_ ,” David’s voice was flat, “ _Max and I arrived from the old country a bit before. Laid low, not a big problem for us, but definitely a pain in the ass. Eventually made our way out west_.” He shared a brief but intense look with Dwayne. “ _Anyway, moral of the story? Doesn’t take too much for things to get out of hand, true or not._ ”

Michael looked up at the head vampire uneasily. That was probably the most he had ever heard about David’s past. He had always been curious, but the circumstances of this little trip down memory lane were unsettling to say the least.

“ _We will be fine, brothers,_ ” Dwayne tried to reassure the three younger vampires, “ _they’re not a real threat to us. But we might have to make some changes…”_

“ _Gotta stay under the radar for a bit,”_ David explained. “ _Usually, people around here look the other way, don’t wanna see what’s right in front of them. But when the shit gets stirred like this, well, shouldn’t draw too much attention, especially with all these outsiders putting their noses where they don’t belong. More trouble than it’s worth._ ” He paused, chuckling, “ _And it doesn’t hurt that we’ve had the_ _appetites of a couple of fledglings putting us on the map lately_.”

Michael felt a twinge of guilt, but David looked back at him with an expression of such intense approval that the thought was quickly banished from his mind. “ _Now don’t get me wrong,_ ” he drew a claw along his pronounced cheekbone, admiring his creation, _“I love your enthusiasm, couldn’t be happier with how you’ve both progressed._ _But,_ ” he winked at Marko, “ _we’ve left quite a footprint around here over the past few years._ ”

Marko just looked smug, unrepentant. “ _Whatever, every last one of them deserved it. Was fun anyway._ ”

David smiled at the younger vampire, “ _That’s the spirit._ ”

“ _So what does this mean for us?_ ” Paul asked, a note of anxiety still sounding through his words. Marko tightened his grip around Paul, pressing his face into the crook of his neck.

“ _We’ll see,_ ” David rested his chin on his arm, “ _probably fly out a little farther to hunt for a while, be a little pickier. Just gotta be smart, wait it out, stick together._ ” He looked thoughtful, “ _Maybe it’ll just blow over. Should probably keep clear of the boardwalk till this asshole moves on, unless we can figure out a clean way to take him out ourselves._ ” At that, a sinister shadow crossed his face, gears turning behind his eyes. “ _Survived worse, and we can still have our fun”_ He clapped his hands together decisively, _“Got all the time in the world, anyway._ ” With that, he got up and made his way down into the bowels of the hotel to wait out the day.

__

The boys had arranged themselves hugging the side of a cliff overhanging the Pacific Coast Highway. The wind coming off the ocean in salty gusts whipped up their hair, set their jackets flapping. Michael was pressed against Paul, both vampires’ eyes trained on Dwayne, who had positioned himself slightly ahead of the rest of the pack. David and Marko were gripping the face of the rock close by, silent and utterly still. Below them, the headlights of cars occasionally cut through the lonely stretch of road. Sometimes they wouldn’t see a car for an hour. They were all tense, completely focused, waiting for Dwayne’s signal.

After what seemed like forever, Dwayne nodded, almost imperceptibly, and the boys launched themselves at a sedan that was rounding the bend. On impact, they pushed the car off the road, forcing it onto the embankment and out of sight. Marko jumped off first, quickly making his way around the perimeter of the car to smash all the lights, plunging the wreck into darkness. Paul and Dwayne drove their claws into the hood of the car, working in unison to rip it open like a sardine tin. Marko, Michael, and David were waiting to subdue any passengers that were still in any shape to put up a fight or make any noise. They fed brutally on the family inside. Dwayne had, as usual, chosen well: there was more than enough to go around, though the thrill and tedium of the hunt had left them all extra hungry. Michael shared the woman with Marko, tearing at her savagely as he raced to finish first. Their eyes met, greedy and gleeful, as they fought for the remaining blood. Pretty soon, all that was left was a smoldering pile of metal and the mangled remains of its passengers. Paul fiddled around under the hood, and then gave a nod, grinning devilishly, “ _Stand back!_ ” A split second later, the wreckage had exploded, incinerating the drained bodies inside and destroying any incriminating evidence of their feast.

Michael shot up like a rocket, flying close on David’s tail, wild with the thrill of the hunt. He felt feral, beyond speech, knowing just blood and power. It was exhilarating to tear through the sky, the wind at his command, surrounded by his pack. He let out a great howl, gratified as his brothers returned it with their own. After putting a few miles between themselves and the wreck, they landed on a strip of beach, laughing and shouting.

Michael was on David in an instant, pinning him to the ground with a vicious snarl. David grinned up at him, covered in blood, a challenge in his eyes. Michael leaned in to lap up the blood, overtaken with the need to touch every inch of the other vampire. His licks quickly turned into bites as David pulled him close, grinding their bodies together. They could hear the others nearby, moans blending together against the roar of the ocean. After a while, David pushed Michael off, sending him tumbling onto the sand. He stood up imperiously, removing his trench and throwing it to the ground. He pulled his black shirt over his head, revealing the pale expanse of his torso. At the sight of David’s naked flesh, Michael growled with hunger, ready to pounce, ready to tear, barely holding himself back. “ _Off,_ ” David nodded down at him, “ _now_.” Michael thrilled at the order, and he quickly divested himself of his leather jacket, kicked off his boots, peeled off his pants. Before he could take off his shirt, David was straddling him, ripping at the blood-soaked tee.

Michael met his master’s gaze, recognizing the heat of desire burning behind his golden eyes. He was seized by the reckless impulse to push him back down again. Was only a little surprised when David let him. With a triumphant smirk, he unzipped David’s pants and ducked down, applying his mouth to the other vampire’s growing hardness, eternally grateful that he didn’t need to breathe. David’s claws curled into his hair, pulling him in, his grip demanding and brutal. “ _Fuck, Michael,_ ” David yanked him even closer, his eyes shutting. Once David was fully hard, he pulled off abruptly and positioned himself over the other vampire, sinking down on him in one smooth motion. He shuddered, the shock of pain twisting something inside of him, electrifying it. He wanted to feel David inside of him, wanted to be filled, to be shattered, wanted to see him lose his perpetual cool underneath him. He began to ride David, relishing the pained look that overtook the other vampire’s features as Michael fucked himself, pushing down hard and fast. They didn’t usually do this facing each other; seeing David’s face as he came undone was almost too much to bear. David was clawing at him, pressing his flesh closer, domineering still. He was already getting close, could feel pressure building as David’s cock hit that spot deep inside himself again and again. He was ravenous, wanted to take as much as he could from the other vampire, consume him, be consumed by him. “ _More,_ ” David snarled, as if reading his mind. Michael fell on him in an instant, plunging his fangs into his throat with a moan. As the blood flooded his system he came, spilling into the tight space between their bodies, feeling David release inside of him barely a second later.

He kept drinking, slowing down as their bodies began to relax, enjoying the way David’s blood was gradually filling up every vein, every artery, tracing through every inch of his body. Eventually, David pushed him off with a warning growl, unable to hide the smile that was playing across his lips as he gazed down at his fledgling. Michael wiped the blood dripping from his mouth with the back of hand, licking it right back up, his expression simultaneously defiant and dazed. “ _Liking this side of you, Michael,_ ” David smirked, pulling his shirt back over his head. Michael’s eyes were golden, aflame, as he lay back on the sand, silently watching the heavens revolve over them, riding out the waves of arousal that were still radiating from his brothers as they finished each other off nearby.

In the nights that followed, they mostly hunted this way, flying out to remote stretches of highway, attacking with brutal precision and perfect coordination. They usually returned to the hotel, but sometimes they extended their trips, making their way down the coast and into Mexico for a few nights, sleeping buried deep in the ground between meals. Michael wondered why they hadn’t done more hunting like this in before. Dwayne had always suggested it, which made sense: it involved a lot of flying, much faster and farther than they tended to go otherwise, and not much interacting with their prey. Took longer though, didn’t leave much time for hanging around, getting fucked up, hassling any humans unlucky enough to cross their path. Michael found he didn’t mind the change of pace. It took his mind off of all that business with his former family, with Sam. Compared to blood and sex and pack, compared to the raw power of the hunt, everything else seemed hopelessly insubstantial, almost unreal. He hadn’t thought it possible to feel closer to his brothers, but it felt harder and harder to even discern the difference between them now, their thoughts bled together, their emotions, their bodies even. He wasn’t sure, more than ever, where they left off and he began.

__

“ _Time to get up, boys,_ ” David clapped his hands together, “ _we’re gonna hit the boardwalk tonight._ ”

Michael eyed him curiously, unwrapping his arms and stretching them overhead with a satisfied groan. “ _Really?_ ” He let go of the perch and floated down, talons reverting to toes by the time they touched the ground.

David nodded, watching intently as the other boys slowly descended from the roost.

Marko draped himself over Paul, still looking a little sleepy, “ _Nice to sleep normally again after a few days on the road._ ”

Paul ran his hand through his hair, tried to shake out some of the dirt that was still clinging to it, “ _Yeah, gonna need to take a dip soon._ ”

They had eaten well on their last trip, gorging themselves along a particularly nasty stretch of highway on their way back up from the border. They were still moving a little slow, sated from the afterglow of the feast, as they headed towards the lobby, taking some time to dig up some cleaner clothes.

The ride out was fun, although it didn’t really compare to the kind of flying they had been doing lately. Michael found himself yearning for the feeling of wind pressing against every inch of his body, for the feeling of flying through the night without even the bike between him and his destination. The boardwalk looked the same as ever from afar, abuzz with artificial lights. They parked their rides and surveyed the scene.

“ _Miss me?”_ Marko grinned, leering hungrily at the first passerby they encountered.

Michael raised an eyebrow at his brother, “ _I don’t know how you can even think of eating again right now.”_ Even as he teased him, he couldn’t help but notice an answering curl of hunger starting to rise in his own stomach.

_“What can I say?”_ Marko grinned even wider, “ _can’t get enough._ ”

As they made their way down the strip, Michael noticed that even after just a few weeks there were fewer missing posters and the ones that were still posted looked older, yellowed and faded. The walls were punctuated, instead, by crisp, white flyers advertising a weekly revival meeting, and others seeking membership for a new “concerned parents” group. The boardwalk was markedly quieter, more subdued. A few of the rides and concessions were even shut down, and there weren’t the usual crowds spilling out from the bars. At least it looked like the preacher wasn’t out yet. “ _Is it just me, or is it kind of depressing tonight?_ ” Michael wondered.

David hummed in agreement, narrowing his eyes as he scanned what was left of the crowd. He hadn’t let his focus flag for even a second since they had arrived. Dwayne was also on high alert, his piercing gaze relentlessly searching, his other senses completely engaged. They walked on, instinctively drawing even closer together than usual.

Michael noticed that Paul hadn’t pulled out a joint yet. He had been mostly sober lately, as focused on the hunt as the rest of them, but Michael had, on some level, expected him to fall back into his routine now that they were back on their usual hunting grounds. He fell into step with Paul, casually brushing their shoulders together. Apprehension and something like sadness clung to the vampire, emotions foreign to his usual light-hearted disposition. Michael pressed gently at Paul's mind, noticing with a start that it was mostly closed to him. He felt a pang at the loss; it felt wrong, like he was missing a part of himself. Paul gave him a small smile, as if apologizing for his guarded condition, but didn’t offer anything up.

After a while they passed by the record store. “ _Shit,_ ” Marko was the first to speak, “ _wonder what happened here?_ ” The lights were off and the windows were taped up, evidence of broken glass poking through. There was a handwritten note on the door, announcing that the shop was closed until further notice. He poked at one of the windows, peering inside and taking a curious sniff, “ _Wonder how our ‘friend’ is doing_ ….” 

Paul fiddled with the lock at the door; after a few minutes it popped open and they let themselves in. There was broken glass everywhere. The source seemed to be a couple of bricks wrapped up with pieces of paper. Michael started to bend down to pick one up, only to have Dwayne grab his wrist, stopping him and shaking his head, “ _Let me, brother._ ” The long-haired vampire gingerly unwrapped one of the bricks, smoothing out the piece of paper to read it. His face tensed, almost imperceptibly, and Michael could feel a faint prick of pain coming from the other vampire. After a minute the flyer fluttered to the ground, “ _Looks like one of the groups we’ve been tracking made its way down here,_ ” Dwayne observed, glancing at David, “ _took matters into their own hands._ ” Michael glanced at the sheet of paper; with a wince he took in an array of clip art crosses and hand-drawn flames decorating the page, surrounding the names of a couple of metal bands and some bible quotations.

Paul looked at it, keeping a safe distance. His mouth curled with disgust, his energy shifting slowly, becoming something different from the vague melancholy that he had been radiating all night. Marko approached Paul quietly, putting himself in his line of vision. He leaned in, pressing their foreheads together, threading clawed fingers through his hair. Their gazes remained locked together, eyes reflecting amber.

David kicked one of the wrapped bricks, sending it skittering across the store’s interior. “ _Let’s get out of here._ ”

Back at the hotel, the boys cracked open a few beers, regrouping. Paul was stretched out with his head leaning against Dwayne’s perpetually-bare torso, not drinking. The dark-haired vampire was running his hands over Paul’s body soothingly; his mind was blank, peaceful for now. Michael was squeezed onto the couch next to Marko and David, passing a beer back and forth. David had removed his jacket and was letting Marko trace absentminded lines into his arm, carving into the thin layer of flesh. The smell of David’s blood permeated the air. Finishing off a bottle, Michael readjusted himself, hooking his legs over the back of the couch, his boots kicked off, his head hanging down, hair almost brushing the ground, an arm flung lightly over Marko’s waist. He took in the heady scent, letting even his toes shift into their taloned shape, forming an invitation in his mind.


	5. Love will tear us apart (again), pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It turns out Michael and Sam have something in common after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up having to break this chapter into two parts. I will probably post the second part in a few days, once I've worked out a few remaining kinks.
> 
> Trigger warning for a vague, non-graphic allusion to abuse towards the end of the chapter.

Michael and Sam were seated in one of the dive bars on the strip that was frequented mostly by locals, a joint where the boys had always made an effort to refrain from eating anyone. Needed to keep a few places around for repeat visits. The regulars were too scared and too grateful to give them any shit, even with everything else going on. They knew to keep their mouths shut and the vampires returned the favor.

While they were still hunting far outside of town, the boys had started to keep a closer eye on the strip, patrolling it every now and again, their movements vigilant, calculating. The preacher had, annoyingly, stuck around, which made even skulking and loitering around the boardwalk too complicated to be any real fun. It had been dumb luck that they’d run into Sam again during one of their rare appearances. Bad luck, as far as David and the rest of the boys were concerned. Michael guessed that Sam had been hanging around a lot, waiting, looking out for him. Curiosity could be a powerful thing.

“You want a beer?” Michael asked, “or something stronger?” The bar was loud and crowded. It had always been popular with the rougher set of locals, but now others were seeking out the dim-lit refuge.

“Dunno, aren’t you worried about getting carded? Not quite twenty-one yet.” Sam seemed uncomfortable.

“Not really a problem for us,” Michael smirked, “beer it is.” He got up from the table, cutting through the crowd with a distinctly predatory gait that was unfamiliar, jarring to his former younger brother. A few minutes later he returned from the bar holding two frosted glasses. He set the drinks down, sliding one across the table.

“So where’s the guy with the mullet?”

“David?” Michael quirked an eyebrow, “he’s around.” He gestured vaguely at the back of the bar, where the four vampires were camped out in a booth, surrounded by a dense cloud of cigarette smoke. None of them had wanted to let Michael out of their sight, not even for a minute. 

Sam took a sip of the beer and made a face. “It’s funny, Mike,” he began, “I always pictured you being there when I had my first drink. And here we are.”

He tried to smile, remembering all of a sudden how close Sam had come to being _his_ first drink.

Taking another tentative sip, Sam pressed on, “So what’s it like? Being a vampire?”

“Keep your voice down.” Michael hissed, glancing around quickly to see if anyone had heard. Satisfied, he turned back. “If we’re gonna talk about this, you need to be more discrete.” He took a drink. This was going to be a pain in the ass, he was starting to wonder if it had been a mistake to agree to another chat. David had tried to warn him, had tried to forestall this whole disaster in the first place. “I can’t really explain it, Sammy.”

“Well, can you try?” His brother shot back.

Michael cast his eyes upwards, wishing he could see the night sky through the smoked-stained ceiling. “Dunno, it’s hard for me to remember what it was like to be any other way.”

“You don’t remember?”

Michael shrugged, “Other things on my mind I guess.”

Sam hunched his shoulders at this.

“What do you want to know exactly, Sammy?” Michael asked.

“Are you,” Sam paused, the ghost of his old flair for the dramatic returning, “evil now?”

“Really couldn’t say,” Michael let out an ironic laugh: that was the fucking question of the week, wasn’t it? “I guess you’ll have to tell me.”

“Well, what about stuff from the movies? Do you sleep in a coffin? Can you go out in the sun? What would happen if you took a holy water bath? What about garlic? A stake through the heart?” Sam was starting to get excited, despite himself. “Where’s your cape? Do you have fangs?”

Michael took another swig of beer, amused. “Haven’t slept in a coffin, no, but I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you how we do sleep.” He narrowed his eyes, “Can’t go out during the daytime either, but why do you wanna know that other stuff? Planning to try to off me?”

“Why, am I gonna need to?” Sam shot back, falling easily into the rhythm of their old dynamic. He vaguely remembered when those two weirdos at the comic shop had tried to press a copy of _Vampires Everywhere!_ into his hands, back when they’d first arrived in Santa Clara. He’d thought himself too cool to take it at the time. Who knew that it would’ve come in handy one day?

Michael smiled, showing his very human-looking teeth, “Anyway, probably should just hope you don’t run into me when I’m sporting fangs.”

He must have seemed a little threatening when he said that, because reality sank back in pretty quickly. Sam looked down at his beer. “Do you really drink blood?” he asked quietly, disbelief lacing through his voice.

He shrugged, “Yeah, Sammy, I do.” He had fed well in anticipation of this little rendezvous, but the cacophony of heartbeats that filled the bar was like faint music in the back of his mind. He had pretty good control now, when he wanted to exercise it anyway, but the sound, the smell of the blood that flowed all around them in the bar was still beyond appetizing. Especially since they had been steering pretty clear of civilization lately. He couldn’t help but lick his lips.

Sam grimaced, “Gross, Mike!” He paused, fiddling with the coaster. “Don’t you feel bad,” he whispered, “killing people?”

“Doesn’t really factor into it.” Michael had that cold, inhuman look again, and it wasn’t hard to imagine that he meant it. He sighed, “Look, don’t ask me questions if you don’t want to know the answer.”

Sam swallowed. “Do you want to eat me?”

Mike shrugged again, “Not really.”

“That’s good, I guess,” Sam laughed weakly, “kinda seemed like maybe you wanted to, that time I saw you guys before you disappeared. When I think of it now, anyway.” He paused, looking lost, and whispered, “Were you a vampire already, that night?”

Michael frowned again at this, “Pretty much.” He didn’t offer anything else.

Sam pressed his fingers into his temples, “God, Mike, this is so weird. I almost feel like I don’t know you anymore.”

Michael shuddered for a second, blanching at the invocation. He steadied his hand and took another drink. “I told you, Sammy, you don’t,” he paused, considering his words, “I’m…different now. I don’t really know how I can explain it in a way that you’d understand. It’s probably better that I don’t. I think it’ll just upset you.”

Michael was grateful for the calming presence of his brothers nearby. He felt less guarded than he had last time he had talked to Sam, less conflicted too. He just felt mildly curious. He noticed that the reckless exuberance, the energy that Sam used to exude was gone, had been replaced by something serious, heavy. He resisted the urge to try and peek inside his former brother’s mind; he’d gotten the hang of some basic manipulations, but he wasn’t great at reading people’s thoughts in any detail yet. And anyway, it was better to keep his distance, not let himself get caught up in things that no longer mattered. But he could tell that Sam was working up the nerve to ask him something else.

“What about you, Sammy,” Michael ventured awkwardly, trying to speed things along, “How’ve you been?” 

Sam gave him a pained expression, “It’s been really fucking hard, Mike. You weren’t there. Mom’s been a mess since you left. And you know how dad is.” He was silent for a second. “I don’t know,” he continued, taking another sip of his beer, seeming to have gotten used to the taste, “I guess I thought talking to you would help, but…I don’t know, you weren’t there.”

Michael just looked down at the table. He knew how cold he seemed, but he couldn’t help it, couldn’t fathom how to be the person that Sam was remembering, had needed. He was used to playing a role now when it came to dealing with food, seeming human enough to put their minds at ease. But it didn’t feel right to pretend with Sam. He didn’t quite see the point anyway; it would just be exhausting to keep at it, since he wasn’t really planning on eating him. An uneasy silence hung in the air between them.

Sam swallowed the last gulp of his beer, summoning his courage. “So, um, what’s the deal with David?”

“The deal?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Are you two, like,” Sam paused nervously, “together?”

“What if we were?”

“Oh.” Michael could see the wheels turning in his brother’s head. “Wow, so, um, you’re gay?”

“Not exactly,” Michael frowned, “but David and I fuck, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Sam looked a little shocked at his brother’s language, his eyes were wide and his heart was beating about a mile a minute. “Were you,” he paused, flustered, “did you like guys?” He lowered his voice, “Before?”

A strange look crossed Michael’s face. “Yeah, Sammy, I did. Why?”

“No reason!” The words rushed out, but the thoughts racing through his head told a different story. Sam was practically broadcasting them now; it was like visiting Times Square, nowhere to look away.

Michael tapped his temple, almost wanting to put him out of his misery, “You know I can pretty much read your mind, right?” It wasn’t exactly true, but it was true enough at the moment.

Sam’s eyes widened. “Really? Shit.” His face fell as that tidbit sunk in. “So you know. About me?” He picked up the soggy coaster and toyed nervously at the edges.

“It’s not a big deal, Sammy.”

Sam sighed, “Maybe not for you.” He was practically ripping the coaster to shreds. “I’ve never told anyone,” he paused, “shit, Mike.” A series of emotions crossed his face in quick succession, too fast and foreign for Michael to catch, “Didn’t figure it out until recently. Not really. It’s like all those assholes knew it before I did.” Michael could feel the waves of self-loathing rolling off of him now, could practically taste it. “But, like, I don’t even know how to do this, how I’m supposed to be.” The beer had hit Sam hard; he was having trouble finding words.

Michael sighed, also unsure of what to say. He remembered, distantly, that he had felt similarly once, could almost imagine a version of himself that could offer Sam some comfort. A version of himself wasn’t perking up just a bit, hungry, at the scent of fear currently radiating from the boy. It wasn’t like he had any useful advice anyway; his experience with guys was…specialized. To say the least. He tapped his fingers on the table, “Shit, maybe you should talk to Marko.”

“Marko?” Sam looked confused.

“Short guy, curly hair, colorful jacket.”

“ _Not a chance, Mikey!_ ” Marko sang out, intruding on Michael’s thoughts.

The whole table of vampires had turned to look at them now. David scowled, shooting daggers his way. He got up, letting his coat sweep dramatically behind him, and stalked off towards the exit, followed closely by the others. “ _We’re leaving, Michael. Now._ ”

“Oh,” Sam’s eyes widened a bit, remembering now how the curly-haired vampire had crouched down to comfort him that night with those bullies, how he had been almost gentle. Almost. “Right, yeah.” He didn’t look like he could really handle talking to any other vampires.

“Not tonight.” Michael pushed his empty beer glass away and looked anxiously towards the door, where the other boys had congregated. The scent of their impatience was overwhelming. “Look, I gotta get going. Try not to worry so much, okay?” He gave his brother a playful knock on the cheek, not missing it when Sam flinched a little at the chill of his skin. “Catch ya later, Sammy.”

__

“ _Have a good reunion, Mikey?”_ Paul’s voice was flat, laced with a challenge.

Michael shrugged, not sure how to respond. He didn’t really understand it, but he could tell that he’d crossed a line back at the bar. As soon as they returned to the hotel, Dwayne had decamped to the back rooms with the dog-eared copy of Huysmans’ _Là-Bas_ that he was almost finished reading. Michael had the distinct impression that the older vampire was pissed. He was always so protective of Marko; they all were really. In any event, he couldn’t blame Dwayne for being annoyed. The older vampire had given some very good advice that Michael had failed to heed. David and Marko were huddled together by the fountain, deep in conversation. David hadn’t said a word to him since they had left the bar. He’d just glared and given him the silent treatment as they rode back to the hotel, not only closing off his mind but also his emotions to the younger vampire. He had been feeling closer to David, closer to all the boys lately, closer than he had ever thought possible. The sudden cold shoulder was putting him on edge; he couldn’t stand it, being shut out, first by Paul and now by David.

Paul didn’t relent, “ _Nice little walk down memory lane?_ ” His narrowed his eyes, staring icily at Michael. “ _Is it fun,_ ” he asked, jabbing a claw into Michael’s shoulder, “ _playing house with your little brother?_ ” He spit out the words like they were poison.

“ _What’s your problem, dude_?” Michael growled in frustration, grabbing Paul by the collar and shoving him against the wall. 

“ _What’s my problem?”_ Paul snarled, “ _What’s your problem!_ ”

Michael held him in place. They glared at each other silently, seething. “ _Fuck, Paul,_ ” he let go of the older vampire and ran a hand through his hair, “ _I don’t know what you want from me, what’s going on with you._ ”

Paul slumped down, leaning against the wall. He instinctively reached for the joint tucked behind his ear and then stopped himself. He tapped his claws against his knee. Michael moved to sit down next to him, and they sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity, staring in the same direction.

Finally, Paul sighed, stilling his hands, “ _Why are you putting yourself through this? Do you even want to see him_?”

Michael tilted his head up, closing his eyes. “ _Yes…no…I don’t know._ ” He paused, trying to gather his thoughts. “ _I thought I didn’t care at first. I could barely relate to him at all, barely remember him. And then, I did start to feel things,_ ” he sighed, “ _but that just made it worse, harder._ ”

Paul let out an ironic huff, his claws set in motion again. 

“ _But I do understand now, brother,_ ” Michael turned to him, his face earnest, “ _it doesn’t matter, he doesn’t matter._ ” He took Paul’s hands in his own, willing him to understand, “ _Nothing else matters._ ”

He shook his head sadly, slipping his hand away. “ _So what are you doing?_ ”

“ _Fuck if I know, Paul. He’s not…I don’t want to eat him. He needed something from me, needs something from me. But I’m not,_ ” he sighed, closing his eyes again, “ _I can’t give it to him, not anymore. But I feel like I should do something, try._ ” He bit back a laugh as he recalled the Rob Lowe poster that Sam used to have hanging up on his closet door. “ _Poor kid._ ”

Paul had withdrawn the joint from behind his ear, was twisting it around in his hands, examining it, contemplating it. “ _It’s funny,_ ” he played at the edge of the rolled-up paper, “ _you had it so easy, the easiest, and now...well. Wouldn’t trade places with you, that’s for sure._ ”

Michael looked at the older vampire curiously.

“ _You probably just should’ve just killed them years ago. Believe me,_ ” Paul sighed, “ _you’d be much better off._ ”

“ _Well it’s not gonna happen._ ” Michael’s eyes flashed.

“ _Cool your jets, Mikey._ ” Paul tucked the joint, unsmoked, back behind his ear. “ _Anyway, I wouldn’t listen to me right now if I were you._ ” His expression turned dark, “ _I thought my shit was dead and buried, but…._ ” He trailed off, his face melting back into its human shape. “Turns out I don’t know shit after all.” Paul’s voice, quiet and broken, echoed in the cavernous room. He looked so lost all of a sudden, no smile or smirk playing across his lips, none of the goofy nonchalance that usually animated his features in this form. 

“ _Paul—_ ” Michael started.

“Look, just be careful okay?”

Michael moved in, gripping him by the collar again. “ _Tell me what’s going on._ ”

Paul didn’t struggle, just stared back, defeated, with his human-seeming eyes.

“ _Brother,_ ” Michael pressed in closer, “ _talk to me._ ”

Paul was silent for a long time. Finally, he raised his hand to cup Michael’s jaw, his delicate fingers shaking slightly. “ _Remember what I told you? Years ago, about_ my _father?_ ” The word sounded bitter. He didn’t wait for the younger vampire to respond, “ _Well can you imagine what it takes for a preacher’s son to go run off and join up with a bunch of Satanists_?” A few stray images escaped from Paul’s mind, searing themselves in Michael’s thoughts. 

“ _Fuck,_ ” Michael let his grip on Paul’s jacket loosen. His own dad had been something of a violent bastard, but it hadn’t prepared him for what was running through the other vampire’s mind. Hadn’t realized he still had the capacity to be shocked. 

“ _Fuck,_ ” Paul agreed, with a faint laugh.

Michael leaned his head against Paul’s shoulder and they sat in silence. Finally, Paul began to speak again. “ _Look, just don’t drag Marko into your shit, okay? I don’t think he can—”_

“ _Don’t think I can what?_ ” Marko had appeared. He popped the tab off of a can of beer and slid down to join them. He took a closer look at Paul and then pressed the drink into his hand, “ _You look like shit, Paulie, you need this more than I do._ ”

Paul rolled his eyes, but accepted the beer and took a long swig.

“ _So, Mikey,_ _you need me to have a little heart-to-heart with Sammy?_ ” Marko snickered, _“Well, can’t say I have a heart, really, but…_ ”

“ _Forget about it, it’s not important._ ”

“ _It’s not a big deal._ ” Marko shrugged and plucked the joint from behind Paul’s ear, lighting up.

“ _No,_ ” Michael growled, repeating himself, _“just forget it._ ”

“ _First David, now you too?_ ” Marko closed his golden eyes and let the smoke fill up his lungs, “ _I’ll talk to the kid, we can make a night out of it. It’ll be fun._ ” He exhaled, narrowing his eyes, “ _I insist. Mikey._ ” He punctuated his words, obstinate, having already made up his mind.

Paul glared at the two younger vampires, but didn’t say anything.

“ _You’ll owe me, of course,_ ” Marko continued blithely, “ _but you know that I’d do anything for you._ ” His voice turned hard, deadly, _“Don’t you, Mikey?_ ”

Later that night, Michael made his way to the perch still feeling ill at ease. He crossed his arms tightly against his chest as he hung, resigning himself to the darkness of the room. Eventually, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. He felt a measure of relief, of peace as David wordlessly slotted their bodies together and he finally sunk into the dreamless sleep of the dead.


	6. Love will tear us apart (again), pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marko tries to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably it for a while. The next few chapters have a long way to go before they are ready to see the light of day. However, I have been working on a one shot from Marko's perspective set in the "We must bleed" universe that might be ready sooner rather than later. This character has really burrowed into my brain...
> 
> Trigger warning for references to and some depiction of graphic violence and non-con towards the end. It gets pretty fucked up.

Marko, Michael, and Sam were back at the dive bar, crowded around a dirty table set with a couple beers, a suspiciously generous pour of whisky, and an ashtray that was already overflowing. The rest of the pack was stationed outside, keeping an eye out for the preacher or any other activity. None of them had been happy about this meeting, but Marko was frighteningly stubborn once he set his mind to something.

Marko stared at Sam, chewing at his glove. “So,” he began, a fiendish look lighting up his face, “Mikey here tells me you’re a raging queer.”

Sam instantly turned beet red, panic in his eyes. “What?!” he hissed. He looked around, trying to see if anyone else had overheard. He was sure that everyone was staring at them.

“Don’t worry kiddo,” Marko leaned in conspiratorially, “I was a certified faggot too.”

Michael rolled his eyes at this, “ _Certifiable anyway_.” Marko gave him a sharp kick.

“Was?” Sam was beyond uncomfortable. He was going to kill his brother. Could you kill someone who was already technically dead?

“Yeah, kiddo. Was.” A dark look crossed Marko’s face, which seemed utterly inhuman in that instant. The vampire took a sip of whisky. 

“Don’t think I can really explain to you how things are for us now,” Marko gestured vaguely at Michael and himself, “but yeah, back when I was human, I was a fag. Was a damn good one too.” A haunted expression briefly flashed across his face before he started giggling. The suddenness of the shift was unnerving.

Sam’s stomach churned: he was in way over his head. He looked at his brother, trying to find some reassurance, but Michael was lighting a cigarette and looking pointedly in another direction.

“So,” Marko propped up his head in his hands speculatively, “there someone special?”

Sam blushed even more. “No, I mean,” he looked around wildly, “no.” He swallowed down some of the beer from the glass set in front of him, his shoulders hunching. 

“Calm down. You’re among friends.” Marko swiped his tongue along his teeth, which were a little too sharp to be human, “Well, sort of.”

“Jesus, Mike, this is your idea of helping?” He didn’t miss it when the two vampires shuddered, turning paler and more ashen than usual. His eyes widened as he remembered exactly what kind of monsters he was actually dealing with.

“Look, kiddo,” Marko sighed, “this ‘playing nice’ thing isn’t really my style.” Despite his baby face, if you really looked at him for more than a second or two, it was crystal clear that he was dangerous, a nightmare wearing human skin. If Michael had come off as cold and distant to Sam, Marko appeared downright malevolent. “But I’m making an exception tonight,” he continued, tossing back about half the glass of whisky in one go, “so what do you want to know?”

“I mean,” Sam was like a deer caught in headlines, “I don’t, I’m not even…” he trailed off. Gulped down more beer as he tried to find the words. He regretted saying anything to his brother. Or, rather, thinking anything to him, near him, whatever.

An inscrutable look passed over Marko’s face. “Fine, here’s my advice then. Sit fucking tight until you leave for New York. And when you get there, find your people.” He paused, “Cause, kiddo, me and Mikey? We’re…not people. Not even close.” His expression softened a little as he continued, “There’s usually a club, a street, a bookshop, something. Not too hard to find if you’re looking for it. And grow some thicker skin. Assholes are gonna call you queer, call you a faggot, and you know what? That’s exactly what you are and you need to learn how to sleep with yourself at night. No use jumping every time you see the monster in the mirror.” He let out a bitter, ironic laugh at this.

Sam just stared. Michael was still slumped against his seat, looking off into distance and working on something like his fourteenth cigarette.

“Hmm,” Marko leered, seeming to take pleasure in both boys’ palpable discomfort. His eyes lit up, “You think you’re a top or a bottom?”

“A what?” Sam looked flustered. “Oh, um, a top?” he squeaked. He was definitely going to die of embarrassment tonight. Maybe that had been Mike’s plan all along. That answered his question, at least: vampires were definitely evil. He’d been insane to think that this was a good idea. There was no way he was getting out alive.

“Yeah. Sure.” Marko gave him a knowing smile. “Well, don’t knock it till you try it. And sucking cock? It’s the best. Just try to keep your teeth out of it.” At that, Michael who had really been doing his best to ignore the conversation, snorted. Marko nudged him with his elbow, but he had also started to giggle, like they were sharing some private joke. Sam really didn’t want to think about that.

“Here’s the important part, so listen carefully,” Marko’s face darkened. “You wear a fucking condom, and don’t let anyone fuck you unless they’re wearing one too. No exceptions. And watch out for oil-based lubes, they break down the latex.” Marko tipped back the rest of his whisky. His voice turned deathly serious, “You know what’s going around, right?” Sam nodded, eyes widening. Marko sized him up for a moment before nodding, “Okay then,” he drummed at the table, his nails much too sharp, “lesson’s over. Have a nice life, kiddo.” At that, Marko stood up, drew a finger gently across Sam’s jaw, and winked, his eyes flashing gold. Then he turned and slunk away into the night. “ _Hope that was worth it, Mikey._ ” Michael could practically taste the evil smile that was, no doubt, spreading across the older vampire’s face.

Michael groaned, burying his head in his hands. Eventually he looked up with something that almost resembled a sheepish grin, “You good?” Sam just kept staring at him, at a complete loss for words, barely resisting the impulse to duck and hide under the table as they finished what was left of their beers. 

__

When Michael finally made it back to the sunken hotel, he could smell the heady cocktail of blood and terror that awaited him before he even stepped inside. After leaving Sam at the bar, he hadn’t been too surprised to find that his brothers were long gone. He suspected that David had stuck around somewhere to keep an eye on him, but he certainly hadn’t gone out of his way to make himself known or to reassure him.

“ _Guys?_ ” He opened up his mind, seeking out his brothers, unsure what exactly he was walking into. It had been a really long night and the tension between them was still palpable. Marko’s words also weighed heavily on him. He knew, deep in the pit of his stomach, how painful that performance had been for him, how much it cost him to step back into the shell of his human skin. 

He found Paul and Marko in the lobby, stretched out on the floor, giggling quietly, pupils blown wide. There was a guy tied up and gagged on the ground nearby, and he could smell a couple of dead bodies shoved off to the side somewhere.

Dwayne rose from his perch on the couch with a long-suffering sigh, putting a clawed finger in his book to hold the page. He was reading _Les Chants de Maldoror_ now, having moved on from the Russians to the French a few years back _._ “ _You’re on baby-sitting duty, brother. At least until this idiot is dead. Went through a lot of trouble to get some take-out, don’t want it going to waste._ ”

“ _Where’s David?_ ” Michael asked, a note of anxiety threading through his thought. Dwayne ignored the question, tucking his book under his arm and gliding back into the deepest reaches of the hotel. Apparently, the older vampire was still annoyed.

“Mikey!” Paul gushed, “you gotta try some.” He rolled around, laughing hysterically, sobriety a distant memory, “gonna feel so good, Mikey.”

Marko tried to prop himself up, leaning clumsily on Paul's shoulder. “C’mere Mikey!” He blew him a kiss, losing his balance and falling back down. Paul yelped as Marko fell on him and gave the other vampire a shove. Pretty soon the two had collapsed in a fit of laughter.

The guy was watching the vampires with an expression of pure terror, sweating bullets. Michael knelt down to take a closer look. He let himself transform, stretching with a shudder of relief as he dropped his human façade. He swiped a clawed finger across the guy’s cheek and tasted the salty perspiration. “Yum,” he licked his lips, smiling at the man, who turned about three shades paler. Michael turned to his brothers curiously, “So what are you guys on?” It took a lot to get a vampire as high as they seemed to be.

“The good stuff,” Marko pinched one of Paul’s nipples and started to giggle again. Paul’s shirt was nowhere to be seen; judging by the state of the rest of him, it had probably gotten soaked in blood during the first round of whatever it was that they were doing. After a few seconds an almost dreamy look settled over Marko’s face and he relaxed, draping himself bonelessly on top of the other vampire.

Paul rolled over, tangling himself up in Marko’s limbs. “Deep cuts from my extra special stash, Mikey,” he raised a languorous hand, pointing to an ornate, old-fashioned looking pipe on the ground nearby. Marko yawned, leaning further back onto Paul. Soon he was totally engrossed again, staring intently off into space, watching some kind of invisible apparition with rapt attention.

Michael picked up the pipe, examining it; didn’t ring a bell. He lowered himself to sit next to his brothers and leaned against the wall. “Got anything a little lighter?” He didn’t want to get too fucked up and piss off Dwayne even more, but he could already tell he wouldn’t be able to handle the pair of vampires like this totally sober. Paul looked disappointed but handed over the joint that was perpetually tucked behind his ear. Michael took a nice long hit, and then let himself slide all the way down onto the floor. It was really a relief to see Marko and Paul in better spirits, but he couldn’t help but worry over his role in precipitating the night’s Bacchanalia.

After a few minutes, Marko roused himself and crawled over, tried to straddle Michael, although he could barely hold himself up for more than a few seconds. “Mikey,” Marko ran his claws through Michael's hair with a dazed smile, clinging to him, “beautiful Mikey.” He started laying sloppy kisses on Michael’s forehead, tracing the inhuman ridge of his brow. He moved down, fangs pricking the other vampire’s neck, drawing drops of blood that he delicately licked up. After a few minutes, he rolled off with a contented sigh, settling on his back with his head resting against Paul again. He looked up happily, “Paulie, my beautiful Paulie.” He gave his own palm a vicious bite and then smeared the blood over his brother’s face with a clumsy gesture, “Like you even better like this, Paulie,” he smiled up at Paul's bloodied features, golden pupils blown wide. Paul gazed down at Marko, licking his lips and trying hard to focus through the haze that was clouding his mind. He took the other vampire’s palm into his hand fondly, licking it clean, healing the wound.

Michael took a few more pulls from the joint, gazing up at the cavernous ceiling of the sunken hotel. He could see the pigeons that Marko kept fluttering around, casting flickering shadows across the stone. He was starting to feel high, almost. “You boys still hungry?” 

“Gotta let him marinate.” Marko sounded disappointed and impatient. “We ate the other ones way too fast. Ruined the fun.”

“Dunno, smells pretty good to me,” Michael said petulantly. It had been a while since they had the luxury of a drawn out a meal like this.

“Someone’s got the munchies already!” Paul reached over and tousled Michael's hair. “Shit, Marky-boy, are you sure he’s not ready to eat yet?”

“Hmmm,” Marko disentangled himself and crawled over the guy, causing him to whimper and attempt to edge away. The vampire grabbed him and took a dramatic sniff, sobering up a bit at the scent. “Nah, not yet,” he paused thoughtfully, his eyes lighting up, “but what if we had dinner and a show. Could do the trick!” He dragged a claw down the man’s cheek, drawing a little blood to set the mood, and then looked pointedly at the other two vampires, giggling, “Can we give our guest a show? Pretty please?”

Michael grinned back at Marko, savoring the whiff of fresh blood. As the scent flooded his system, he was filled with the instinctive need to do something to remind his brother of his devotion, to dispel whatever memories were weighing him down. He owed it to him. He turned to Paul with an eyebrow raised. Happy to see that a blissed-out, hungry look had replaced his former melancholy, he launched himself at the older vampire, pinning him to the ground with a satisfied growl. They could definitely put on a show, if that’s what Marko wanted. The pair rolled around, tearing off articles of clothing until they were both naked. Michael applied himself to Paul’s inner thighs, licking and sucking at the soft skin. He needed to be even closer to him, to dissolve all the walls that stood between them. He shuddered with the intensity of the other vampire's scent as he sunk his fangs in and drank. His blood was electric, rich and laced with the delicate drug curling its way through his system. Before it became too much, Michael tore himself away and moved up, dragging his face towards Paul's hardening cock. He pressed his nose to the root, growling again. Paul’s head was thrown back, body already going lax with the blood loss and what was left of his high. With a pang of regret, Michael forced his fangs to recede. Easily lifting up his hips for a better angle, he moved his mouth down, licking at the edge of Paul’s hole, teasing it. The other vampire responded immediately, throwing his head from side to side, desperate for more of the sensation.

Still clutching the frightened human close to his chest, Marko hissed with excitement, his fangs bared, glistening. He tightened his grip, letting his claws tear through the man’s shirt, puncture the flesh of his chest, intensifying the smell of blood in the air. “See that?” He whispered gleefully, pressing his hard, sharp features against the neck of his prey. The man closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face. “I want you to fucking watch!” Marko screeched, digging his claws in deeper. He fixed his glowing eyes back on the other two vampires with an eager, expectant look.

Michael held back a smile as he delved deeper, swiping his tongue inside Paul, coaxing him open. His face was already messy with his own spit, saliva mixing with the blood that coated his chin. Paul moaned needily as Michael pumped his tongue in and out with increasingly brutal, animalistic licks. He felt himself getting hard as he pressed deeper into Paul, tasting him. Finally satisfied, Michael lowered Paul's hips and pushed his palm firmly against his chest. “Stay,” his voice was a low rumble. He crawled over to Marko and caught his mouth in a rough, filthy kiss. “ _Enjoy the show, brother_ ,” he grinned at Marko's surprised expression and turned back to Paul, who was still limp on the ground, thighs glistening with blood and spit, practically shivering as he waited for Michael to return. Stradling him, Michael lined himself up and sunk in easily. As he bottomed out, he let out a roar, his face reverting to its fully vampiric form. Paul arched his back, bracing himself against the floor, welcoming the intrusion enthusiastically. The tightness of the other vampire enveloped him, felt amazing. All of the tension that had been crackling between them melted away, there was nothing but the sheer intensity of the present moment. Michael seized Paul by his hips and began to fuck him with abandon. Quickly adjusting to the sensation, Paul hoisted himself up with a feral grin, gripping the other boy’s shoulders, drawing blood. The two rocked together on the hard, cold floor, growling and tearing at each other. 

Marko licked his lips as he watched, still pressing claws into the man, who had promptly fainted. “Wake up you motherfucker!” He withdrew a hand from where it was embedded in the guy’s chest to slap him across the face. His voice dropped to an excited whisper as the man started to come to. “Remember when my Paulie fucked your little girlfriend? Right before he ate her?” He giggled horribly, “She was begging for it, wanted him more than she’s ever wanted you.” Marko brought a claw to his mouth to taste the man’s blood. “Almost there, but not quite,” he observed in a sing-song voice. He gave the guy a good shake and continued in a gleeful tone, “Now look at him, letting Mikey fuck him. Look how good he takes it, how much he loves it.”

Paul was getting close. He was riding Michael vigorously, head thrown back, hair wild, Marko’s blood still smeared all over his face. Michael braced himself as he felt the other vampire clench around him, felt come paint his chest. He plunged his fangs into his neck, coming in waves as Paul's blood flooded his system again. The intimacy scorched him; a bone-deep feeling of relief washed over him as the blood sung out, fusing them together for a perfect moment. As he fell against Paul, he could hear Marko ripping into his prey, could make out the sound of flesh tearing, of blood spilling as he devoured the guy. The smell was intoxicating; definitely worth the wait.

Marko stumbled over after a while, collapsing drunkenly onto the other two vampires with a happy sigh. “ _Good?_ ” Michael asked, drawing him in closer. “ _Yeah, that was the best,_ ” Marko sounded dreamy, “ _but you still owe me, Mikey._


	7. Stigmata Martyr

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a little break from updating this to write a one-shot set in the same universe, [Forming](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28487250), which is probably one of my favorite things that I've ever written. And then inspiration struck for a more classic David/Michael story, [Falling.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28948131/chapters/71031513) But I think I've finally worked out the plot issues and writer's block that was holding things up with this story. Still might be on a slower update schedule than before, though, due to some "real life" stuff.

“Boredddddd.” Marko swung down from the shadowy alcove where his pigeons were nestled and landed on the couch next to Michael with a flop. A trail of feathers floated, lighter than air, twisting and twirling in a lazy arc behind him. His pets were molting earlier than usual this year. Michael passed Marko a joint without even looking up from the magazine that he was paging through.

Rain was hammering down outside, drenching the beach. The ocean churned and roared against the walls of the cave. Not one of the boys was hungry enough to suggest braving the downpour to hunt. Even Michael and Marko, for whom feeding was still pretty much a nightly requirement, favored staying nice and dry.

Dwayne’s copy of _Les Chants de Maldoror_ was splayed open on his chest. He ignored it in favor of chain smoking and staring up at the decorations that crisscrossed the vast expanse of their lair.

Michael followed Dwayne’s gaze. The ornaments weren’t much of a substitute for the stars outside, but they scratched a deep itch. He was still occasionally surprised to realize how far from human he had become. It wasn’t just big things like eating people and a total lack of mental privacy, but also little ones, things that were so mundane and seemingly inconsequential that he barely noticed them at all. Being around Sam recently had really brought home the point: the way he thought, even the way he moved had been fundamentally altered.

It occurred to him that they were a lot like birds, girding and gilding their nest, drawn to surround themselves with strange little mementos, needing to weave them together into a protective tapestry. He had started to accumulate souvenirs without even realizing it, collecting handkerchiefs and orphaned keys to tie to the dense network that that spun out like a spiderweb across the sunken hotel. Marko and Paul tended to go for jewelry: Marko liked to disassemble it into odd bits and pieces, while Paul meticulously joined his bounty together into long Frankenstein chains. Dwayne was responsible for the additions of teeth and bone that flashed white, like ghastly tinsel festooning the space.

A burst of lightening bounced off the stone walls, illuminating the miscellany of glittering trinkets. It was followed, a few seconds later, by a deep rumble of thunder.

“Ooh, let’s tell scary stories.” Paul was dangling upside down from one of the sturdier swags of rope that stretched across the lobby. He had looped his legs over the line and was swinging back and forth. The fearsome vampiric grimace that twisted his features appeared especially incongruous mixed with the bored, mischievous expression that he was sporting.

“We _are_ a scary story,” Michael said, shooting down the idea, “what’s the point?”

“There are scarier things.” Paul picked up speed as he pumped his legs faster.

“Name one.”

“…I’ll think of something.”

Dwayne snorted at this, ignoring it when Paul stuck out his tongue in his direction.

“You always do, Paulie.” David made his way out from the depths of the cave, giving Paul a condescending pat on the cheek as he floated past him.

Michael watched out of the corner of his eye as David took his place sprawled on his rickety chair. David hadn’t stopped giving him the cold shoulder since that night with Sam at the bar, and it looked like he was in for another night of the silent treatment. It didn’t seem to matter to him that Marko had already let go of whatever it was that had pissed them all off in the first place. More or less. Or that Paul had made his peace with him too.

The snub from his maker left Michael feeling perpetually restless and unsettled. Of course, he and David still ended up sleeping nestled together each day. It was as if neither could help it. But as soon as the sun set and their feet were back on the ground, David resumed his stony silence. His eyes narrowed as he caught Michael watching him. Without acknowledging his fledgling, he pulled a cigarette from his pack. He tipped his head back and closed his eyes, taking his first drag of the night. 

“Davey,” Marko straightened up, “we gotta take care of this boardwalk problem. Bad enough we’re stuck in here tonight, but we haven’t had any real fun in ages.”

Michael elbowed him. “What about last night, asshole?” He couldn’t help but be a little offended. He’d put on a pretty good show.

Marko giggled and licked his lips. “Wasn’t too bad, Mikey, wasn’t too bad. But I’m talking scale. Quantity.” He spread out his arms, leaning back against the other vampire, “Think big.”

David grunted in response, “Working on it.”

Just then Paul leapt out, seemingly coming out of nowhere, and landed at the edge of the couch. “I vant to suck your blood!” He had dug up a cheesy polyester cape, the remains of some poor chump’s Halloween costume, which he was waving around dramatically in front of his face. He was doing his best to loom intimidatingly over where Michael and Marko were tangled up on the couch.

Marko started to laugh hysterically, twisting to hide his face against Michael’s side. “The only truly frightening thing,” he finally managed, “is how fucked up your hair is tonight, Paulie.”

Paul snarled and then…tugged pointlessly at the frizzy blonde nest that had taken up residence on his head with a defeated air. “Well, the humidity is a killer.” 

“ _You are immortal, Paul. I do not understand why you still get so hung up on your looks._ ” Dwayne observed, managing to sound smug without even deigning to speak aloud.

“So that wasn’t your high-end conditioner I found hidden behind that pile of rocks near the pool, Dwayne?” David arched an eyebrow in the other vampire’s direction.

Dwayne crossed his arms, growling, “ _Careful, brother, or next time you need an extra pair of eyes while you groom your facial hair you will be on your own._ ” 

“You know, for supernatural beings who claim to be above such things, you’re all…pretty gay.” Michael chimed in, earning a sharp kick from Marko. 

“Mikey,” Marko began solemnly, drawing himself up, “just because—."

Paul cut him off. “Don’t get him started. Do you want an hour-long lecture on gender and stereotypes? I’m bored, but not that bored.”

Marko landed another kick on Paul’s shin, before tackling him to the ground. Laughing, Paul tried to throw him off, and soon the pair were wrestling mid-air. Their screeches echoed through the cave as they crashed into the rocky surface of the walls and rebounded, again and again. Paul yanked at Marko’s braids, while Marko ripped off Paul’s cape and did his best to tear up his shirt. There hadn’t been much to begin with, really, so it was quick work. Soon they had graduated to a bloodier repertoire of kicking and clawing and biting. The pigeons wisely scattered.

Michael chanced another look at David. He was staring at the two vampires hovering above them, looking amused. He wished, not for the first time, that David wasn’t quite so good at shielding his thoughts from the rest of them. He had no idea what he was thinking.

His reverie was interrupted when he felt the sharpness of claws run through his hair. Michael looked up to find Dwayne’s glowing eyes staring down at him as he tugged at his curls. “ _Suspiciously soft, brother. Do not think that I have not noticed that the bottle has been a little on the light side lately._ ” With that, Dwayne turned and floated off, his talons barely brushing the ground as he made his way back into the depths of the old hotel for a little solitude.

David and Michael sat in silence as the sounds of fighting continued to ring out overhead, joining the cacophony of the rain and sea outside; David bore it stoically, while Michael absentmindedly paged through his magazine and turned recent events over and over in his mind. He shouldn’t have drawn Marko into his shit with Sam. That had set David off, made things worse with Paul. He didn’t totally understand it, but the tension that was coloring his link to the pack had begun in that moment. He thought, not for the first time, that he should have just listened to Dwayne. Hell, even David had been telling him to forget about his old family for years now. It certainly didn’t help that he had opened this Pandora’s box at the worst possible time. It was hard enough that their movements were so curtailed, their routine interrupted. He sighed and turned the page; he had been reading the same few lines for about a half hour at this point without once grasping a single word. Not that he hadn’t memorized the whole damn thing years ago.

Finally, Paul and Marko came crashing to the ground, covered in blood and the odd feather. They seemed to have reached a truce and had set about licking their wounds. “Missed a spot!” Marko leaned in to gleefully tongue a fleck of blood from the side of Paul’s nose. Paul glared at him and then relaxed under the attention. They settled down together against the wall, Paul’s head falling comfortably against Marko’s chest. Marko retracted his claws and started the near-impossible task of detangling the other vampire’s hair. With a look of intense concentration and a practiced hand he slowly separated each lock, patiently tracing the labyrinthine course of the knots that had developed. Paul’s hair was always pretty wild, and the high-speed winds that attended their hunts lately had done quite a number on him. Not to mention the previous night’s vigorous, blood-soaked rendezvous. And he was right, the humidity wasn’t doing him any favors.

“Paulie,” Marko began tentatively as he worked, “back when you ran with those Satanists, what’d you guys actually get up to?”

David looked sharply at the pair, before turning his glare accusingly on Michael.

Michael winced and looked down, feeling guilty all over again. He wondered why Marko was dredging up the past after everything that had just transpired. Paul had been so edgy lately; this was the first night in a while that he was back to anything that could be considered normal. And anyway, Marko and Paul were usually so…careful with each other. Underneath all the bickering, they were vigilant, always ready to console or divert the other at the first sign of distress. It was odd, too, for any of them to bring up life before they had been turned: they usually didn’t talk about it much at all if they could help it.

“Long time ago.” Paul closed his eyes and was silent for a moment. “Well, mostly we took a lot of drugs and held orgies. Usually at the same time.” He smiled faintly at the memory. “But the more hardcore followers got pretty into these elaborate rituals. The main one was basically, like, the regular Mass but backwards. Like a kind of parody,” he sighed, “honestly, I found that part pretty tedious. Reminded me a little too much of what I was trying to get away from, yeah? Lots of Latin and waving things around. Took forever. Was mostly for show, anyway.”

“For show?” Marko picked at a particularly stubborn tangle, causing Paul to yelp.

“Careful! Yeah, I don’t think anyone really thought it was real. I mean, nothing ever _happened_. But it really freaked other people out. Some of them liked to play it up, spread rumors about what kind of things really went down. But it was mostly bullshit. Just a bunch of guys wearing dresses and a few chicks chanting. But, you know, people were really religious back then.”

“Still are.” Marko’s voice sounded bitter, tired.

“Yeah, maybe,” Paul said carefully, “anyway, didn’t really prepare me for the real deal.” He nodded towards David with an ironic grin.

David roused himself at that, returning Paul’s smile with a wink and baring his fangs theatrically. Then he lit another cigarette and turned his attention back to the dwindling pack.

Only the occasional flashes of lightening and loud claps of thunder interrupted the silence that reigned in the damp cave.

Eventually Marko worked the last knot out of Paul’s hair and tousled it a bit, admiring his handiwork. “Voilà! Good as new.”

“Thanks,” Paul twisted around and looked at the other vampire curiously, “so, what brought all this on?”

“Inspiration,” Marko stretched, cracking the bones in his shoulders, “thinking about what I’m gonna do when we finally get our hands on that asshole from the boardwalk.” 

Another burst of lightening rebounded through the cave, strobing light onto the harsh angles and hardened slopes of Marko’s face. He giggled a little at the over-the-top punctuation, although the thunder that followed swallowed up the sound. Michael couldn’t help but shiver at the fiery glow lighting up brother’s eyes. He wasn’t entirely sure if he was shivering in fear or in anticipation. Wasn’t sure there was really a difference anyway.

__

“One, two, three!” Paul and Michael swung the body that they were holding, heaving it over the side of the cliff. After a few seconds, a distant splash could be heard as it sunk into the water below, joining those that had already been claimed by the sea.

“That one was heavy,” Michael complained, lowering himself down to sit at the edge of the overhang. He dangled his feet, letting silver chains rattle against the leather of his boots.

Paul sat down, throwing an arm loosely around him. “Clean up duty is the worst.”

They watched the waves crash and curl around the rocks that jutted up from the surface below. The hunt had been sparse: only three to share amongst themselves. And they had flown about halfway across the state in pursuit. He was already a little hungry again.

“What’s on your mind, Mikey?”

Michael shrugged, his head falling against Paul’s shoulder. His hair was definitely softer now, thanks to Marko’s attentions. He let himself go, nuzzling idly at the other vampire’s neck. Paul smelled comforting: like earth and copper and salt, mixed with the lingering skunky, herbal scent of pot. “Dunno,” he said after a while, “just feeling uneasy.”

“David?” Paul could be surprisingly intuitive when he was sober.

“Yeah,” he sighed, pulling away sightly, “I don’t know what to do.”

“Look, it’s not just you. He’s been acting weird for a while now—”

Michael cut him off. “He’s pissed at me.”

Paul nodded thoughtfully, looking off towards the horizon. “David can be…protective. You know?” 

“I didn’t mean to…I was just trying to, I don’t know, figure things out with Sammy…” He trailed off, staring down at his claws, “It was so stupid. Not worth upsetting everything like this. It isn’t like I can be a part of his life anyway. I guess I just needed to see it for myself.”

“Sure,” Paul said distantly, picking blood from where it had started to dry around his own claws, “give it some time. He’ll come around.”

“Yeah.” Michael gave the underside of the cliff a good kick, watching as a few bits of rock dislodged and tumbled down towards the water. “I’m glad things are okay between us again.”

“More than okay, Mikey,” Paul waggled his eyebrows, “at least from what I can remember from the other night.” Laughing, he pulled Michael down so they were laying side by side, legs still dangling off the cliff. He molded his lanky form around Michael’s body, pressing gently against his muscles as he lit a joint.

Things between them had always been so easy, so simple. Ever since Michael had turned, before even, Paul had welcomed him with open arms, reassuring him, taking him under his wing with uncomplicated affection.

He thought about what Paul had told him after their confrontation about why he had left home all those years ago. Maybe some rocks were better left unturned. He thought about how carefully Paul watched over Marko, tried to help him forget, to just live in the moment. Well, not live… They had forever; the past was past, would always be past. Good or bad, they had left it behind permanently. There was no going back, nothing to work through anymore. No point.

They smoked in silence for a few minutes, listening to the waves below and staring up at the cloud-covered night sky. Paul traced little circles on Michael’s arm, dancing his fingers lightly across the exposed skin as a high started to build.

“I guess it’s different for you,” Paul observed, out of nowhere.

“Different?”

“David’s your maker. The rest of us, we follow him, sure, hell we even pledged ourselves to him after Max died, did a whole little song and dance. But the bond between the two of you is…different.”

“I don’t know how much longer I can stand it. I feel like he hates me.” It scared him, a little, to think about how deep their bond was, how much it had come to anchor his very sense of self. Actually, the human idea of “self” had stopped meaning anything to him years ago.

“It’s like I said, Mikey. It’ll just take some time. David doesn’t hate you, and he’s not going to stay mad forever. He can’t, not with you.” Paul paused, his eyes getting fuzzy, “You’re still pretty young. It’s been what, five years? Six? That’s nothing, that’s a blink of an eye for us. You’ll understand eventually, but trust me…just be patient. Try to take the long view of things. No matter what happens, you’re pack. Nothing can change that.”

Paul flicked the roach over the edge of the cliff and stretched out, wiggling his feet a little. “We should get back.” He hoisted himself up and held out a hand to Michael. Soon they were airborne, making their way back to where the others were lazily camped out, enjoying the last of the pleasant stupor that followed feeding. They had a long way to go before sunrise.

__

“ _We could get some barbed wire, make him wear a crown of thorns._ ” Marko’s eyes lit up, “ _That would be a good start._ ”

“ _Stigmata,_ ” Paul added helpfully, “ _something with stigmata?_ ”

“ _That’s not bad,_ ” Marko said, “ _tap his hands and drink him like a juice box for a few nights._ ”

They were stationed at the quiet end of the boardwalk, far away from where the preacher usually set up shop, waiting for David and Dwayne to return from their patrol. The atmosphere of the strip was still muted. The new “family friendly” vibe wasn’t great for business.

Michael retrieved his flask from where he had stowed it away in his leather jacket. He unscrewed the lid and took a nice long drink. They’d saved a little blood from a recent hunt to help him and Marko get through the nights where they had to go without. Even though it was cold, it tasted decent enough mixed with some of the wine that was packed up in crates in the back rooms of the hotel, where it was always cool and dark. Took the edge off, anyway. He narrowed his eyes, instinctively tracking a woman who was making her way through the crowd. She had blonde, curly hair and swung her hips as she walked. He took another sip and then passed the flask to Marko. 

He sighed moodily, biting back his disappointment as the woman disappeared into some tacky souvenir shop and the chime of her pulse faded away. She would have been perfect; it was really too bad that they couldn’t hunt on the boardwalk right now. He perked up again when he caught a whiff of another tempting prospect, a guy, also blonde, zipping by on roller blades. His eyes were glued to the guy’s figure as he disappeared into the distance.

“Hey,” Paul nudged him, drawing Michael’s attention away from his lost quarry, “what’s with those guys?”

Michael followed his line of sight. There were a pair of plainclothes officers making their way down the boardwalk. They were easy to spot if you knew what to look for. Something in the way that they walked. 

The trio was silent as they watched the cops stop and talk to the guy who worked at the sunglass kiosk. It was pretty far away, but he could hear them. They were asking questions.

“ _Stay calm_.” David materialized out of nowhere and was hurrying towards them. Dwayne was at his side, glowering. They took up spots leaning against the railing.

“ _The boardwalk is crawling with them. FBI agents_.” Dwane sounded tense.

“Shit,” Michael exclaimed aloud, before silently adding, “ _should we go_?”

“ _Nope, don’t want to seem suspicious_ ,” David replied, “ _We’re gonna just sit nice and tight. See what they do_.”

They stayed planted, talking shit, watching as the agents got closer.

“ _Fucking pigs._ ” Marko fumed as he eyed the interlopers.

“ _Didn’t you hear what Dwayne said?_ ” Paul said, “ _Not cops._ ”

“ _Fucking top secret government pigs,_ ” Marko corrected himself, continuing to glare resentfully at the pair.

David snorted.

After a while the agents approached them. One of them, a stout, serious woman, fixed her eyes immediately on David, sensing that he was the leader of their little gang. “You boys usually hang out around here?” 

“Who’s asking?” David smiled dangerously, laying on some charm.

“Just a question,” the woman replied firmly. “We’re following up on some reports of suspicious activity.”

“Suspicious activity?” Paul asked innocently, his eyes glinting. “Like what?”

Michael squinted, instinctively drawing closer to his brothers.

“Seen anything unusual lately?” The other agent, a beefy man with a neat mustache, interjected. His voice was gruff, but he sounded a little bored with the whole routine.

“ _They don’t have a clue,_ ” David observed, continuing to stare down the pair calmly, “ _grasping at straws. Idiots._ ”

“Unusual?” David smiled again, striking a match against his boot and lighting a cigarette, “Just you.”

“Hmm,” the woman continued to meet his gaze, “well you let us know if you see anything out of the ordinary.” She pressed a business card into David’s gloved hand.

“You boys should probably head home. Stay out of trouble.” The man scribbled something down in the little pad of paper he had slipped out of his back pocket. His walkie-talkie crackled.

Marko raised his fingers in a mock salute. “Sure thing, ‘sir.’” He bit back a giggle, not quite managing to hide the insinuating undertone.

Michael snickered, “ _Very smooth._ ”

“ _What can I say, I love a man in uniform,_ ” Marko grinned, “ _besides, he’s cute. For a pig._ ” He trailed his eyes down to check out the guy's ass. " _Yeah, he's a throwback, the original clone._ "

Paul elbowed him, but other than that, the five vampires remained silent as they watched the agents continue down the strip, stopping every so often to make inquiries.

Once they were out of sight, David crumpled the card in his fist and tossed it to the ground. “Let’s go.”

__

A boy with long, dark hair was waiting by their bikes, one of the kids that they had seen under the boardwalk. He and another boy had been tending some candles, burning that strange incense that had given Dwayne pause.

David silently groaned. “ _First Sammy and now this kid again? Locals used to be afraid of us._ ”

The boy looked squarely at the vampires as they approached, bracing himself.

“Hey there little man,” Paul smiled a sharp, playful smile, “long time, no see!”

Marko bit at his glove, glancing between the boy and his brothers. They had moved in together, tightening their formation as they approached the kid.

Cocking his head to the side, David considered him, “Thought you were smarter than this.”

“I’m sorry,” the kid began, “I’m desperate. I can’t find Carlos anywhere. The guy you saw me with on the beach.” His eyes shone with worry and he had started to fiddle with the silver bracelets that encircled his wrists, sliding them back and forth. His nails were bitten down, the polish that he wore was almost entirely gone, reduced to a few patches of black.

David shook his head slowly, “Not really our problem.”

“What happened?” Dwayne’s expression was ice cold, but his voice was soft.

The kid let out a fast breath. “Carlos has been out on the streets for the past couple of nights,” he paused, as if he was fighting with himself, unsure of how much to say, “but then he just disappeared, no one has seen him anywhere.”

David narrowed his eyes, “You asking if we got him?”

“No,” he quickly responded, “it’s not you I’m worried about. Just, lately, people have been acting strange,” his eyes darted around, “I think it has something to do with that trial. You know what I’m talking about?”

“Yeah, we know.”

“Anyway,” the boy continued, “you guys haven’t really been around lately, but things have really changed out here. The meatheads that roam around the boardwalk are running around, threatening anyone they don’t like the looks of. More than usual. Not like they needed much of an excuse in the first place. Beat up a bunch of goth kids last week, and, well, people talk, you know, about…” he trailed off, the worried look returning to his face as he toyed with one of his bangles, fingering the stones that were set into a narrow row along its edge.

“ _Delicate ecosystem, huh._ ” David glanced at Dwayne, “ _What’re you thinking?_ ”

“ _I want to see what we can find out._ ” 

Narrowing his eyes, David nodded, “ _Fine._ ” He turned to the nervous-looking boy. “What’s your name, kid?”

“Alejandro.”

“Okay, Alejandro. You’re gonna go wait with my friends here. Paul, Michael, Marko,” he jerked his hand towards the trio, “take the kid back with you, keep an eye on him.” He smiled grimly, adding, “ _No eating him, at least not until we get back._ ”

Dwayne crouched down a bit, bringing himself eye-level. “Where did you last see him?”

“Two nights ago. We were out on the docks by the old marina.”

“Do not be afraid,” Dwayne murmured before leaning in, sniffing deeply at the boy’s neck. He closed his eyes, trying to pick out the right scent. “ _Got it,_ ” his eyes glittered as he stepped back. Within seconds, he and David had disappeared into the darkness of the night.

Paul draped himself casually around Marko’s shoulders, giving the kid a friendly leer and gesturing at the bikes. “Ever taken a ride on one of these things, little man?”

Alejandro shook his head.

“You’re gonna love it,” Michael grinned, matching Paul’s expression, smile just a little too toothy to reassure. He gave the seat behind him a pat.

Surprisingly, the human didn’t hesitate, and soon his arms were wrapped around Michael’s waist. Paul and Marko revved their engines and they tore off into the night, riding just a little slower than usual down the stretch of highway that led to the bluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! As always, comments are appreciated :)
> 
> I should probably quickly note that Paul's grasp of Aleister Crowley's occultism isn't particularly accurate, but I don't think he was cogent at the time! Instead, the depiction of early-20th-century Satanism that he conveys is drawn more from the picture painted by JK Huysmans' novel Là-Bas (1891), which was influential in constructing the idea of the "Black Mass" in the public mind at the time. Incidentally, Huysmans is a lot of fun, but I'd start with his À rebours (Against Nature) first...It is oddly appropriate to our current homebound existences.
> 
> On a more lowbrow note, Dwayne's refusal to use contractions when he speaks is starting to give me big-time Captain Holt vibes.
> 
> And in case you're wondering what Marko's on about: [a little here](https://openspace.sfmoma.org/2015/06/nothing-that-meets-the-eye-notes-on-clones/), but basically think [Tom of Finland (maybe NSFW).](https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/aug/01/tom-of-finland-leather-legendary-gay-aesthetic-touko-laaksonen)


	8. Just like heaven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally have a clear sense of where this is going, so hoping to keep with these slightly more regular updates. And for those of you who are waiting for David to stop sulking around the edges of the story...well it's coming, but not today ;)
> 
> Also, I want to flag the misgendering (sort of) of the OC.

Michael’s blood was pumping with adrenaline by the time they pulled up to the bluff. It was a windy night and the ocean air was scented by the tantalizing aroma of the human riding behind him. Fear tinged with excitement. He let out a low growl as he brought his bike to a stop, savoring the spike in anxiety that ran through his passenger’s body. After a tense moment, Alejandro unclenched his fingers from where he had Michael’s leather jacket in a death grip.

Paul had already hopped off his bike and was offering the kid a hand to help him down. He gestured at the treacherous path that ended in the entrance to the sunken hotel, “We’re headed down there.” With a magnanimous flourish of the wrist, he led the way.

Michael grabbed a torch, remembering that the human wouldn’t be able to see without some illumination. The kid looked around one last time, fiddling nervously with the straps of his ratty backpack, before taking a deep breath and following them inside.

Alejandro gingerly perched on the edge of the fountain, taking in the immense space of the lobby. Michael lit some oil barrels and then sat down next to Marko on the couch. The three vampires peered silently at their guest, their bodies tense beneath the air of casualness that they affected.

Michael felt a territorial instinct rising up in him. It was unusual for them to bring someone back to their lair that they weren’t intending to eat. Or intending to turn, he supposed, thinking back to his first visit to the cave. In a way, it had been the last thing he had seen with fully human eyes. He reached for the flask that was tucked away in the inside pocket of his jacket and threw back the dregs, hoping it would be enough to tide him over. Sucking at his teeth, he rolled the last drops of blood around in his mouth.

Paul had taken up residence in David’s customary seat, his limbs draped elegantly over the metal chair. He studied the boy, smiling. “You know, not many…people see our little hideout and live to tell about it,” his smile widened, grew distinctly threatening, “you’re not planning on telling, are you?”

“ _You’re freaking him out,_ ” Marko observed, watching as the boy’s eyes widened.

“ _What? We promised David that we wouldn’t eat him, not that we wouldn’t have a little fun._ ”

“Are you going to kill me?” The boy cut to the chase. 

“Who, us?” Paul asked, the very picture of innocence. “Now, why would you think that?”

Alejandro didn’t answer, but his thoughts blared from his head, riding on waves of anxiety and fear. He had a pretty good idea of what they were. But he also knew enough to realize that they didn’t usually go after locals. At least the ones that minded their own business. He wasn’t sure if he had broken that rule tonight, coming to them.

“ _Smart kid,_ ” Michael observed, glancing at the others, “ _but I don’t really understand why we’re on babysitting duty in the first place._ ” He tried to ignore the way the boy’s pulse echoed against the walls of cave. He’d come to enjoy the agonizing temptation of blood in the run up to feeding, grown used to savoring its torturous appeal knowing it would sweeten the eventual act. He realized, in retrospect, how much the vestiges of their familial bond had done to blunt Sam’s appeal. Of course, he’d been careful to only meet with him on a full stomach. His tongue searched the inside of his mouth for any last traces of blood. Marko winked and shifted a little closer. The craving receded, quelled by the other vampire’s proximity.

“Don’t worry, you’re safe,” Paul continued, eyeing Michael warily, “our brother has a soft spot for you. You should be proud. Dwayne doesn’t usually hold a very high opinion of mankind.”

“Yeah, relax!” Marko tossed Alejandro a beer, before cracking open his own, “We don’t bite.” He giggled at that, giving Michael a gleeful smile and passing him a can. Meanwhile, Paul pulled out the joint from behind his ear and lit up. He tipped his head back, watching as curls of smoke wound upwards.

Alejandro took a few nervous sips, toying with the tab. He put the can down and started to toy with his bracelets instead. The silver glittered against the warm, rich color of his skin. When it became clear that the boys didn’t intend any immediate harm, he relaxed…a bit.

“So,” Marko turned his attention back to the kid, “what happened with your little boyfriend?” 

Alejandro’s eyes flew up with renewed panic.

“It’s fine,” Marko pitched his voice a little, “he’s cute.” He rolled his eyes and then twisted up to drag his tongue suggestively along Michael’s jaw. The display wasn’t a particularly human one, but the point was clear enough. Michael smiled, enjoying the sensation; if he couldn’t eat the kid, at least they could get a little more comfortable. He licked his lips as Marko rearranged himself to settle snug against his chest.

“Oh, wow. Okay.” Alejandro glanced back and forth between the boys and then swallowed a few more sips of beer. “Umm, Carlos’ parents found out about him…about us a couple of weeks ago and they kicked him out.”

“Bummer,” Paul said, raising his head back up from where he had let it flop. His tone was casual, but Michael could sense a rare undercurrent of empathy.

“Yeah,” he paused, “I live with my _abuelita._ She’s okay with me, as long as I don’t talk about it too much, but she doesn’t have enough room to take him in. So, he’s been staying around, here and there. Anyway, things were okay for a while, but those Nazis on the beach started to really go after us. I don’t think they saw anything, but…I don’t know, maybe it’s my fault they suspected something.” He ran his fingers through his hair, frowning. “It was the usual shit, but I don’t know, seemed like they were looking for trouble, they were all riled up, got it in their heads that we were doing voodoo or something. Wouldn’t leave us alone. It’s that trial and that guy on the boardwalk. All of a sudden it’s like they’ve made it their mission to, umm, go after anyone who seems different…” He clenched his hands into fists, continuing, “And Carlos, well he’s not really used to this. No one’s ever suspected about him before…he tried to fight them. Pissed them off more. And then, just like that, he’s missing.” His eyes were wet with worry.

“Those fuckers,” Marko seethed, “we’re gone for a couple of months and they forget that the beach is _ours._ ”

Michael bit back a growl, immediately swept up in the sheer force of the rage that had started rolling off of Marko. He tried to resist the urge to shift.

“While the cat’s away, the mice will play,” Paul observed in a sing-song voice, taking another hit and then leaning towards Michael. “ _Relax, brother,_ ” he said, pressing the joint into his hand.

Marko’s expression turned almost sympathetic for a split second as he brought his attention back to their visitor. “Well, if anyone can find him, it’s Dwayne.”

The kid nodded, nursing his beer. 

“So,” Michael said, trying to change the subject, “what were you guys actually doing on the beach anyway? Looked pretty spooky to me.”

Alejandro seemed hesitant to answer. He examined his nails, picking at the remaining flakes of polish.

“C’mon,” Paul said, “you can tell us.”

“Umm, _Brujería…_ I don’t know how to explain it to you. Folk magic. My _abuela_ taught me, she learned from her mama. Carlos and I were doing a little ritual to, um, honor our ancestors.”

“So, like voodoo?”

“Sort of, not really. It goes back to _México,_ before the Spanish …Women were healers, _curandera_. People like me,” his voice became softer, “were respected, were treated as spiritual leaders.”

“People like you?” Marko asked, tilting his head to the side.

“You know…” Alejandro trailed off, making a delicate gesture.

Michael noticed, then, the subtle, almost ineffable femininity with which the kid carried himself. It was hard to describe, but once you saw it, it was hard to ignore. 

Marko didn’t press the question. He plucked the joint from Michael’s hands and took a hit, expelling the smoke from his nose like a dragon. He peered at Alejandro, his expression an unnerving combination of curiosity and malice. “Want some?”

Alejandro got up, swaying a little, and took the offered joint. He took a small but expert pull before handing it back to the vampire.

Marko’s mouth resolved into a slightly less-threatening smile.

“So, you got any more of that nail polish?” Paul asked, taking pity on the kid. Even when he was playing nice, Marko had an intensity to him that tended to unnerve most humans.

“One-track mind,” Michael rolled his eyes.

“Oh, umm, maybe, let me check.” Alejandro opened up the old backpack that he had brought with him. Some tarot cards and a couple of CDs fell out as he searched. “Yeah,” he held up a small, nearly empty bottle.

“Oooooh, what do you have here?” Paul crept over. “Shit, you have the new Thrill Kill Kult _?_ I was waiting for this one!” He held up the jewel case, delighted. “Haven’t been able to get my hands on anything since those fuckers crashed the record store.”

“It’s pretty good, but _Confessions of a Knife_ is still my favorite.”

“Have you heard _Sexplosion_? _”_ Paul asked, getting excited.

Soon the two were huddled by the boom box surrounded by a cloud of smoke, while Paul carefully painted his nails black. Every so often the heavy industrial sound was punctuated by a burst of laughter.

“ _For fuck’s sake,”_ Michael groused, “ _we’re bloodthirsty vampires, not thirteen-year-old girls having a slumber party._ ”

“ _Mikey, sometimes you just gotta go with it,_ ” Marko laughed, turning over so they were face to face, “ _you’re just grumpy because the kid isn’t on the menu tonight._ ” He let out a playful snarl, eyes flashing amber as he nipped at Michael’s chin.

“ _Don’t see why not,_ ” Michael said, internally cursing David and Dwayne. That last sip of blood had left a sour taste in his mouth and he wanted to wash it down with something nice and warm. The whole night had been torture, and not the fun kind either.

Marko just laughed and started to grind against Michael’s leg, sliding a hand under his shirt to play at his nipple. Hidden by the back of the couch, they fooled around quietly, blowing off steam.

“ _Anyway, I kind of like him._ ” Marko said after a while, hoisting himself up and wiping a drop of blood from the side of his mouth. He fished around the couch and eventually found a crumpled pack of cigarettes.

“ _Are you serious?_ ”

Marko shrugged. “ _Call me sentimental, but I still don’t really have much of an appetite for queers._ ” He lit a cigarette and looked thoughtfully at Michael, like he was remembering something, “ _Fuck, who am I kidding, that isn’t really true…but I’d still prefer a Surf Nazi any day of the week._ ”

“ _You’d prefer mass slaughter,_ ” Michael said dubiously.

“ _Well, we can’t always get what we want, can we?_ ” Marko stretched his arm with a satisfied groan, winding it around Michael’s shoulder as he took a long drag. With his free hand he toyed with the hair at the nape of Michael’s neck, lazily running his clawed fingers through it. “ _For example, I’d prefer if you’d lose the shirt, and yet…_ ”

Michael gave Marko’s braids a good yank before they settled back down, passing the cigarette back and forth in a comfortable silence.

After a few moments, Marko began to speak, “ _You and me, we’re square, by the way._ ”

“ _What do you mean?_ ”

“ _For Sammy,_ ” he clarified, sounding serious, “ _the whole thing made me realize something._ _Think I’d been holding on to some shit. It was painful shit, but it was…mine, you know? It becomes part of you. What do you have left if you let it go?_ ” Marko closed his eyes with a sigh. “ _There were good bits too. But I was never happy, not really._ ”

He kept smoking contemplatively, radiating an unfamiliar sense of calm. After a while he turned back towards Michael, fixing him with a stare. They had both shifted into their true faces while they were fooling around, and Marko’s eyes burned amber. “ _I’m free now, from all of it. We lucked out, Mikey, jumped right off that whole fucking carousel: mothers, fathers, babies, marriage, work, illness, death._ ” He flicked his cigarette to the floor and then lit another. “ _No future,_ ” he exhaled, smiling, “ _no past._ ”

“ _You and me,_ ” Marko continued, his face taking on an eerie, demonic cast even as the tenor of his thoughts became even more serene, “ _Paul, Dwayne, David? We’re gonna have fun forever._ ” His words floated on a cloud of smoke, hanging softly in the air around them.

__

It was nearing dawn and Dwayne and David still hadn’t returned to the cave. Alejandro had fallen asleep, knocked out hard by the strong weed and the late hour.

Paul quietly made his way over to the couch, leaving the boy where he was curled up by the stereo. He took a curious sniff as he crawled on top of Marko, scenting sex and blood. “ _I see you got started without me._ ” With a grin, he released his human guise to match Marko and Michael.

Marko stifled a yawn, but his eyes glittered as he looked up at Paul. With a smile, Paul slid a clawed finger up the inseam of Marko’s jeans and lowered his head to nudge against his perpetually-exposed midriff. Paul bit gently into the soft skin above his hipbones, causing Marko’s eyes to instantly roll back with pleasure.

Michael watched, eyes half-lidded, as his brothers began to play. Marko was already arching against him, starting to shift and twist, moaning.

“ _Quiet,_ ” Paul hissed at Marko with a devious grin, “ _don’t want to wake our guest_.” He glanced up at Michael, “ _Give me a hand?_ ”

Michael wrapped one arm firmly around Marko, pinning his arms to his sides and securing his body tightly against his own. He wedged his other hand against Marko’s mouth, offering him his wrist. Marko laved at it, trembling, as Paul undid his fly. Paul had barely taken Marko’s length into his mouth when Marko bit down on Michael’s wrist to muffle his cry. He sucked at the wound as Paul worked him up with leisurely, teasing motions. Paul tended to develop something of an oral fixation when he managed to actually get stoned. Michael felt himself drifting off into a dream-like state, carried by the second-hand arousal of Paul’s maddeningly slow blow job. The coming dawn tugged at him, combined with the haze of blood loss. He was hit with a memory of the time Paul had first taken him this way, the night before he had fully turned. He remembered the surprising coolness of the vampire’s mouth, the way the water had splashed as he tried to grasp the edges of the pool. It seemed like a lifetime ago... Paul was really drawing it out now, working Marko up and then backing off again until the younger vampire had been reduced to little more than a writhing mess. As Marko got close, Paul thrust his own wrist up blindly to Michael. He gratefully bit down, letting the blood wash over him, restoring him from the edge of consciousness.

By the time Michael came back to himself, the other vampires had stilled. They lay together, loose limbed, in contented silence. He savored the nearness of his brothers, the scent that perfumed the air around them. But his eyes kept tracking back to David’s empty chair as he turned Marko’s words from earlier around in his mind.

They were roused, eventually, by the return of the two older vampires. “ _Found him,_ ” David announced once they had appeared at the mouth of the cave. Dwayne was holding Carlos in his arms; the boy was bruised, covered in blood. Michael could hear his heartbeat, though, and the sound of short, labored breathes.

Dwayne laid him out on the bed with surprising gentleness, “ _He’s not in great shape. Alive though._ ”

“ _What happened_?” Marko unwound himself from the pile and crept over to peer at the unconscious boy.

“ _Tracked him to the warehouse district, outside of town. Looks like he got beat up pretty bad, left for dead._ ”

“ _Surf Nazis?_ ” Marko asked, giving the kid a poke.

Dwayne nodded, “ _Smells like it._ ”

“ _What’re we gonna do with him?_ ” 

David and Dwayne exchanged a tense look. “ _Maybe he’ll pull through,_ ” David said, frowning, “ _Don’t really want to take them on._ ”

Michael noticed the slightest twitch under Dwayne’s eye, but the older vampire didn’t say anything.

“ _Take them on? Like turn him?_ ” Michael asked, surprised.

Marko also stared at their leader in disbelief. “ _Seriously, David?_ ”

“ _Ale’s cool and all,_ ” Paul said, joining the conversation with a yawn, “ _but I don’t really think he’s got the killer instinct._ ”

David glanced at Dwayne again, his mouth forming a sharp line. “ _No, he doesn’t._ ”

“What’s going on?” They were interrupted as Alejandro made his way over to the bed, wiping sleep from his eyes. “Carlos!” he cried out and threw himself on top of the boy the second he saw him stretched out on the bed. He ran his hands up and down the boy’s limp body with increasing desperation. “ _Mi amor, mi vida_ ” he had started to sob, pressing himself against his chest. 

The vampires exchanged uneasy glances.

It was Dwayne who finally lifted him away from the injured boy, holding him tightly until he got a hold on himself.

“What happened?” He finally asked, his chest still heaving.

“Not sure. Found him on the outskirts of town. Whoever did this was long gone.” David’s voice was flat.

Alejandro struggled out of Dwayne’s grip. He leaned over Carlos, examining his face, pressing a hand against his neck to feel for a pulse. “He’s alive.”

“Yes,” Dwayne said simply.

“Is he going to be okay?”

“Maybe. Too soon to tell,” Dwayne looked at him steadily, carefully, “what do you want to do?”

“Fuck,” he breathed, brokenly, looking back and forth between Carlos and Dwayne.

“Paul,” Dwayne said, speaking aloud for the kid’s benefit, “get him cleaned up, see if anything needs to be treated right away.” He gave Michael and Marko a warning look and then turned back to the human, “Alejandro, come walk with me, we need to talk.” He pressed his hand against the boy’s back, guiding him towards the mouth of the cave. Too shell-shocked to fight him, Alejandro let himself be led out to the beach.

David scowled as he watched them leave, stalking over to his chair. Soon he was deep in thought, chin resting on his fists.

Michael and Marko had made their way to the other side of the room, putting some space between themselves and the enticing scent of the bloodied boy. They were slumped against the wall, leaning on one another as they fought off the pull of the coming dawn. Usually they’d be up in the roost by now. The pair watched as Paul tended to Carlos and David continued to brood.

“ _Is he really considering this?_ ” Michael asked Marko, a jealous part of him bristling at the idea. Another, smaller, part of him was intrigued, wondered what it would be like to be on the other side of things, to watch someone else succumb to the blood.

Marko eyed David skeptically, “ _I don’t think so. We’re not really in the market for additions to the pack._ ”

Michael nodded, satisfied for the moment. He glanced up at the mouth of the cave. “ _What do you think they’re doing out there?_ ” 

“ _Dwayne wanted some privacy with the kid. Weird, huh?_ ” Marko chewed at his glove, “ _Never seen ‘Daddies’ fight like this before._ ” His tone was light, but his anxiety was obvious.

Michael raised his eyebrows, at a loss as to how to interpret the tension they had witnessed between the two older vampires. He’d never seen them in anything but perfect accord. He yawned, his train of thought cut short by the inexorable tug of the first rays of dawn. 

By the time Dwayne and Alejandro returned, Michael and Marko could barely keep their eyes open. Michael thought he might be imagining it, but he could practically smell a faint, burning smell coming from Dwayne’s skin. The older vampire’s expression was strange, almost sad.

Paul nodded at them, “He’s stable. Looked a bit worse than it actually was. Probably want to get some of these cuts treated though, could get infected.” He stepped back, making space for Alejandro, who fell on the other boy again, running his hands through his short hair, muttering a steady stream of Spanish under his breath.

David and Dwayne were locked in a furious exchange of glances, their thoughts shielded from the others. After a long silence, David lifted himself up from his seat and made his way over to the two humans. He fixed his eyes on Alejandro, “Feel free to stay here, we’ll be gone until sunset. Grab some money from the fountain over there, whatever you need, if you think you can make it out to the road to get him to a hospital.”

With that he turned and began to make his way out of the lobby to their perch. Dwayne gave the pair of humans an intense look before following David, the rest of the pack not far behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if this is clear or not, but the implication is that Alejandro understands himself, vaguely, within the framework of Two-Spirit gender identity, identifying strongly with his Indigenous ancestry. This term covers a pretty heterogeneous range of specific cultures and traditions, but is usually associated with gender variation (often a distinct "third gender" status) and a specialized, spiritual role. It is not necessarily related to same-sex relations, but in this case it is. Different Indigenous communities originally had different terminology for gender-variant people, and the term "Two-Spirit" wasn't adopted as a pan-Indian term until 1990 at an inter-tribal conference. 
> 
> Given that this story is set in 1993, I don't think that either Alejandro or the vampire characters would be familiar with this formal framework--or have any strong feelings or even the language to think about, e.g., appropriate pronouns. This is compounded by the fuzziness and gaps that can be associated with histories of colonialism, migration, and diasporic identity. Furthermore there are some elisions here between the use of the term Two-Spirit within a North American context and specific Indigenous traditions from Mexico and Latin America (such the Muxe within Zapotec culture in Oaxaca). I've left this purposefully vague, as that vagueness would have, for better or worse, been part of the OC's understanding of himself and his heritage, given the setting. I'm also not sure this would necessarily relate to the practice of Brujería, although again, the idea is that some of these ideas might become fused together in new ways as the OC comes to understand himself creatively within the context of the US in the 1980s.
> 
> What I wanted to convey is the notion that Alejandro, probably via his grandma, has some inchoate sense of alternative frameworks for understanding his gender identity in relationship to spiritual practices--but doesn't necessarily have the words to explain this (or the desire to do so to outsiders and, indeed, literal monsters!). 
> 
> In short, I've tried to be as accurate as possible, although ultimately I've had to generalize certain things for the sake of the plot. But given the setting in Southern California, I felt strongly about the OC being Chicano/a and I also wanted to take up Dwayne's backstory again.
> 
> Anyway, TMI, I imagine! I'm just a big nerd for historically and culturally specific ideas about gender identity and sexuality, if you haven't already figured that out ;)


End file.
